GLASS, EPOXY & THE ALCHEMY OF BECOMING

I’m standing at a crossroads. On one path is glass: luminous, refined, historically honoured, with all its demands and costs. On the other: epoxy, more accessible, forgiving, experimental. I’m asking: is one better? Does glass still hold supremacy? Or can epoxy, in its less glamorous skin, match or even complement glass? And this is what I really want, can I make them dance together?

To help me think, I’ve been looking at Michael E. Taylor. His work, his mind, his willingness to use adhesives even in his purest glass practice gives me permission not to see things in black and white. He’s a guide for this hybrid moment.

Who is Michael E. Taylor (and why he matters to me)

Michael Taylor (born 1944, Lewisburg, Tennessee) is a pioneer in studio glass. He studied ceramics first, then gradually moved into glass, and over decades has built a body of work that’s all about light, geometry, tension, and internal reflection.

He’s known for cutting, polishing and laminating translucent coloured and clear blocks of glass using epoxy resin. His signature method is deeply technical but also deeply poetic. His pieces are visually stunning: solid yet seeming to float, full of inner life. He explores scientific ideas, geometry, even subatomic metaphors. He bridges purity and pragmatism in a way that feels incredibly relevant.

Dessert Morning by Michael Taylor

Where the resin comes in

Let’s be clear: Taylor’s work depends on resin, even if he doesn’t make a big show of it. Epoxy is the quiet collaborator in many of his laminated pieces. Here are a few:

• Photogenesis series layered glass constructions with sharp colour transitions and internal reflections. You can bet your life resin is doing the heavy lifting.

• Probing for Innovative Clarity laminated cast optical cadmium and copper glasses. Multiple layers, high precision, bonded together.

• God Particle, Higgs Boson (2016) laminated optical and pigmented glasses with refractory materials. A study in hybrid thinking.

• Surgical Expansion series works with bevelled glass in cylinders. The clean seams and layered internals don’t happen without adhesive magic.

When you look at Taylor’s work closely, you can often see the seam lines, the edge glow, the internal float, all subtle signs of resin in play.

What glass gives me

• Optical magic: refraction, internal paths of light, glints, internal layering

• Cultural legitimacy and longevity: respected by collectors and museums

• Rigour: glass demands discipline, which feeds the work

• Seamless transitions: polished joints can disappear optically

But glass also comes with:

• Cost, waste and risk

• Equipment and space demands

• Scale limitations

What epoxy gives me

• Flexibility: cast, embed, tint, float inclusions

• Affordability and accessibility

• Working time and rework options

• Hybrid bonding and layering possibilities

But it also brings:

• Potential yellowing or UV degradation

• Softer surfaces that scratch more easily

• Optical mismatch with glass

• A reputation gap (it still feels a bit "crafty" to some galleries)

  
  

Does one have supremacy?

Not really. It depends on what you’re making, why you’re making it, and who it’s for. Glass gives me purity and optical brilliance. Epoxy gives me freedom and agility. It’s like comparing a violin to a synthesiser. Both can make music. Depends on the tune.

So can I combine them?

Hell yes. And here’s how I’m starting to think about it:

• Skeleton and flesh glass gives structure, epoxy fills the space in-between.

• Gradients and morphs move from one material to the other to express transformation.

• Show the seam use the joint or contrast as a moment of drama, not something to hide.

• Test small, scale up experiment fast with resin, and then bring glass into the mix once I know what I’m chasing.

  
  

What Taylor teaches me

Michael Taylor doesn’t treat resin as a shortcut. It’s a technical solution to a creative problem. His work is proof that you can stay conceptually rigorous while still being pragmatic. That inspires me.

So I’m not going to pick a side. I’m going to learn the rules of each material, then break them in beautiful ways. Resin isn’t cheating. Glass isn’t sacred. The real art is what happens in between.

Watch this space. I’m building hybrids.