Never a publisher to miss an opportunity, the Threadbone Press has reacted to news of the restoration of the Tiffany-style 1914 International Art Glass Competition Winning "A garden full of flowers is a garden full of God's blessings” stained glass panels at Our Lady of the Repulsive Toenails, Alder Hills by publishing a retrospective on the work of glass restorer and freelance, free-thinking creative designer and champion vaper Vetrate di Chiesa.
Widely known - and almost as widely respected - for his sensitive and highly contextualised work on several of Dorset's most revered parish churches, di Chiesa has been described as the "anonymous medieval glass craftsman of our day", though surprisingly there has been until now no scholarly publication devoted to his work*.
* He has however featured in a more generalised conspectus on the work of a group of artists known as The Dorset Glass Collective playing second fiddle to - amongst others - Vitrail Vitrail, Bunt Glas, Gloine Dhaite and the elder statesman of the group Vit Reum [Arts Ed]
All that has now been corrected in fine style by author Todd Glazier [himself something of a dab hand with a bit of lead and a blow torch] whose cool evaluation of di Chiesa's work is matched only by his outstanding narrative grasp of the life and times of di Chiesa, the challenges and vicissitudes of which are enough to fill a book.**
** So what exactly is the present volume then? [Sanity Check Advisor]
All in all, there is something for everyone in this fine publication, provided of course that the reader has an interest in and extensive prior knowledge of the art of stained glass window making.***
*** and if you don't, then the obvious question is: what on earth were you doing to amuse yourself during the never -ending Contrik-69 Lockdown! [Home Security Ed]
Vetrate di Chiesa: His Stained Glass Windows for Gilded Age Alton St Pancras is published by the Threadbone Press and is available from all branches of Threadstones, priced 44 guineas.
Readers are invited to explore the new volume in an exclusive sneak preview HERE
Comments