Image courtesy of The Corning Museum of Glass.

Lino Tagliapietra

Born in Murano, Italy, Lino Tagliapietra (1934– ) became an apprentice glassblower when he was 11 years old; by age 21, he was recognized as a “Maestro”—a title conferred on the most skilled of Italy’s glassblowers. He worked in several of Murano’s best-known glass factories until 1990, when he established his own independent studio. Tagliapietra played a significant role in sharing traditionally secret Venetian glassblowing techniques with the wider world, beginning with a visiting teaching post at Pilchuck Glass School in 1979; he also taught American processes to his Italian peers. Tagliapietra works in both Murano and the United States and has collaborated with numerous American studio glass artists, including Dale Chihuly and Dan Dailey.

Works

Endeavour, 2004. Collection of The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York. Purchased in honor of James R. Houghton with funds from Corning Inc. and gifts from the Ennion Society, the Carbetz Foundation Inc., James B. Flaws and Marcia D. Weber, Maisie Houghton, Polly and John Guth, Mr. and Mrs. Carl H. Pforzheimer III, Wendell P. Weeks and Kim Frock, Alan and Nancy Cameros, the Honorable and Mrs. Amory Houghton Jr., E. Marie McKee and Robert H. Cole, Robert and Elizabeth Turissini, Peter and Cathy Volanakis, and Lino Tagliapietra and the Heller Gallery, New York. (2005.4.170).

Fenice II, 1998. Made at Steuben Glass, Inc.; (1903-2011); Factory. Overall H: 33.3 cm, W: 20.5 cm, D: 8 cm. Collection of The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York. Gift of Royal & Sun Alliance and Christina Rifkin (2000.4.8).

Lacrima I, 1991. Overall H: 61.5 cm, W: 16 cm, D: 8.5 cm. Collection of The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York. Gift of the Ben W. Heineman Sr. Family (2006.4.282).

Lino Tagliapietra discusses Americans coming to understand the importance of technique in glassmaking.

Playing01:11 Transcript

Lino Tagliapietra

Lino Tagliapietra discusses Americans coming to understand the importance of technique in glassmaking. Oral history interview with Lino Tagliapietra by Isabella Lettere, conducted via telephone, June 28, 2018, Bard Graduate Center. Clip length: 01:11.

Lino Tagliapietra: E che—per esempio—dieci anni prima, quando si parlava—si parlava di vetro—di tecnica—gli americani dicevano che—si, la sapevano. In realtà non la conoscevano. E, un po’ alla volta hanno capito l’importanza della tecnica. Cioè è molto—è come che—diciamo, è stato un momento storico che tu vai a scuola, e sei un alunno che capisci fino a dieci. E poi l’anno dopo capisci fino a dodici. Dopo, l’anno successivo capisci il quindici, il sedici, venti. Quando finalmente arrivi al trenta, o il trentacinque, capisci che il mondo è molto più ampio di quello che era prima, allora dici: ho capito i segreti. In realtà era—erano tecniche in comune, se vogliamo, non era—però era un modo di esprimere che prima era sconosciuto.

And that—that finally American glass, the American artistic environment, understood the importance of the technique of blowing glass—the importance of blowing glass with ability and technique. In reality they did not. And, little by little, they understood the importance of technique. So it is very much—it’s—let’s say, it was an historic moment such as when you go to school, you are a student that understands how to count up to ten. And then the next year you understand up to twelve. After, the next year, you can count to fifteen, to sixteen, twenty. When you finally can count to thirty, or thirty-five, you understand that the world is much vaster than what it was before, so you say: I understand the secrets. In reality, it was—they were common techniques, you might say, it wasn’t—but it was a mode of expression that was previously unknown.

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Lino Tagliapietra talks about the culture of NYEGW at Mulberry Street.

Playing01:19 Transcript

Lino Tagliapietra

Lino Tagliapietra talks about the culture of NYEGW at Mulberry Street. Oral history interview with Lino Tagliapietra by Isabella Lettere, conducted via telephone, June 28, 2018, Bard Graduate Center. Clip length: 01:19.

Lino Tagliapietra: Ma credo che quando si—lavorava nei primi tempi—i primi anni, si lavorava in Mulberry Street ed era molto piccolo, molto caldo, era—un po’ una mentalità un pochino—non molto aperta, diciamo, ecco. La cultura vetraria era ancora un pochino un optional perché si pensava sempre New Glass, la tecnica non è importante. L’importante è l’idea, l’importante cioè—è un pochino, diciamo un po’ falso [most likely saying this], un po’ strano, un po’ cheap. In realtà, poi si è evoluto—si è evoluto, si è—grazie al apporto di Dale ma anche del—tutto l’ambiente New York-ese è venuto fuori l’UrbanGlass in Fulton Street dove c’è veramente—c’è stato un—un veramente—un colpo di genio [inaudible]—ci è voluto coraggio, e veramente—a poterlo fare. Adesso, è strutturato in modo meraviglioso.

Well I believe that when we were working—working at the beginning—the first years, we were working in Mulberry Street and it was very small, very hot, it was—kind of—not a very open mentality, let’s say. The glass culture was still a little bit optional because one always thought of “new glass,” where the technique is not important. What’s important is the idea, the importance is in other words—is a little, let’s say a little fake [most likely saying this], a little strange, a little cheap. In reality, then it evolved—it evolved, it—thanks to Dale’s contributions but also to the whole New York environment, which produced UrbanGlass in Fulton Street where there is really—there was a—really a—stroke of genius [inaudible]—a lot of courage, and really—to be able to do this. Now, it is structured in a marvelous way.

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Lino Tagliapietra talks about the importance of UrbanGlass to him.

Playing01:06 Transcript

Lino Tagliapietra

Lino Tagliapietra talks about the importance of UrbanGlass to him. Oral history interview with Lino Tagliapietra by Isabella Lettere, conducted via telephone, June 28, 2018, Bard Graduate Center. Clip length: 01:06.

Lino Tagliapietra: Devo dire che anche se si è un pochino trasformato come idea più che artistico è diventato uno studio per artisti—per studenti, per università, per—dove si può anche fare delle cose stupende—ma anche tante cose di oggetti comuni come lampade, e altri tipi di oggetti, che è molto importante. Che è molto importante, ma è però importante—credo, secondo me, avere—anche per coprire i costi—bisogna lavorare, bisogna anche che ci sia molta gente che lavora, bisogna fare un sacco di cose. E credo che l’UrbanGlass, come istituzione, sia una delle cose più—se non forse la più importante, per me, per New York. Cioè New York è stato—è ancora—l’UrbanGlass è veramente importantissimo, secondo me.

I believe that even if the concept [of Urban Glass] has transformed a little, more than artistic it has become a studio for artists—for students, for the university, for—where you can also make splendid things—but also many common-place objects such as lamps, and other types of objects, this is very important. It is very important, but it is important—I believe, to have—also in order to cover costs—it is necessary to work, it is necessary to have many people that work, you have to do many things. And I believe that UrbanGlass, as an institution, is one of the—if not the most important thing, for me, for New York. In other words New York was—is still—UrbanGlass is really very important, I think.

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