LOST-WAX
CAST GLASS
Located in Brittany, the Fonderie de Verre is one of the first workshops Garnier & Linker visited during their very own tour de France in 2013. A chance encounter; at the time G&L did not recognize the singularity of the Fonderie's technique.
The story of the Fonderie de Verre began in Marseille, where Olivier spent eight years at the International Glass and Visual Arts Research Centre (CIRVA). Throughout this period, Olivier manufactured glass sculptural monoliths for several artists, from the Bouroullec brothers and Gaetano Pesce to Ettore Sottsass and Jean-Michel Othoniel. Whether through regularly producing highly technical pieces or etching technique-focused creations, Olivier always rose to the challenge.
He continues to live his passion from his sea view workshop established in 2010. Olivier collaborates with artists and creators to craft ambitious pieces using a lost-wax cast glass technique. This unusual artistry transforms previously made wax shapes into massive glass. The wax shape melts during the baking process. The technique, which is mainly used in sculpture, produces bubbles and veils that appear randomly in the finished casting. This is what makes each piece unique.
"LOST-WAX PROVIDES CONSIDERABLE FREEDOM TO CREATE TEXTURED GLASS PIECES.
THE FINISHED PIECE IS
ALWAYS SURPRISINGLY MAGICAL!"
garnier & linker
For Garnier & Linker, the brutalist beauty of glass coupled with the potential consistency of wax pieces sparked an immediate desire to work with Olivier. Such enthusiasm was again highlighted in later years through light and object creations.
To this day, all wax used in pieces is handmade in the G&L Paris workshop before being entrusted to Olivier and the Fonderie de Verre who refine each and every detail.
