Client: Laurie Frick

Overview

Judson Studios collaborated with artist Laurie Frick to realize her data visualization project for the Engineering School at Texas A&M. Each color represents student project data. The fused glass tiles cover a total of 334.5 square feet, occupying a significant expanse of the hall. The installation is composed of approximately 200 tiles. The various sizes of tiles are drilled into the wall and secured with rubber stops.

Goals

Our goal in realizing Laurie Frick’s work was to guide the artist through our fabrication process, staying true to the artist’s design while following fabrication guidelines. Judson researched the best methods to produce Frick’s work in fused glass, creating samples to translate designs into three-dimensional glass objects. Once translated into glass, the tiles took on the reflective qualities of glass adding to the work’s visual interest. Glass tiles cast colored shadows that decorate the white walls of the sparse hallway. The physical qualities of the glass make the space warm and inviting, but also speak to the strength and hardiness of the school and its student body. Frick partnered with Judson for a myriad of reasons, including the aesthetics of the medium, the symbolic qualities of glass, and a working relationship with a studio that would aid in each stage of the project. The integrative process included consistent communication with the artist regarding color matching, fabrication guidelines, and installation requirements. Each piece was polished and drilled by our team according to an agreed upon installation plan. Judson assisted the artist in manifesting the ultimate commission throughout the stages of design, fabrication, crating, and installation.

Process

Laurie Frick presented her idea to Judson Studios for fabrication and we worked to create a plan for fabrication and installation. Over a 4-5 week period, the artist spent time both in the studio and remotely, preparing for the commission by selecting colors and fabricating samples with our artists. Once colors three-dimensional and samples resembled the ideal product, the studio moved into fabrication. Each panel was tracked throughout the process of laying out the design, cutting glass, fusing, polishing, drilling holes, and finally crating each to be shipped to Texas A&M to be installed by a separate party. During fabrication, Frick made trips to the studio, where she provided her input and continued the collaborative process to efficiently realize the project. The whole project took around 3 months from inception to installation.