I have been an artist in residence at the Canberra Glassworks, experimenting with ways of making new magic lantern chromatropes in contemporary glass. Historically, chromatropes – ‘colour turners’ – were magic lantern slides which used a rack-and-pinion to spin two glass discs in opposite directions. As the magic lanternist turned the handle, the carefully chosen colours painted on the glass mixed on the screen to produce additional colours, and the carefully designed patterns algorithmically iterated intricate virtual forms which seemed to pulse off the screen into the audience. They were extremely popular.

Translating this semi-industrial optical technology from the nineteenth century into the material universe of contemporary studio glass is a rewarding challenge, from which I am learning much. Below are three of the more successful results so far. They were made by expert glass blower Rob Schwartz with Gautirya Muralietharan, and cold worked by Halle Warrender. Sebastian Perri was an enormous support.

Three chromatropes made from Bullseye glass canes by Rob Schwartz at Canberra Glassworks, 2026.