HANDMADE
Weaver of Illusions
At first glance, Randy Comer’s Bedouin Carpet idea that all kinds of designs can be made with
leaves you wondering how this weaver has made straight-line segments. The glass he uses is
1" thick
wool so shiny and rigid. Upon closer inspection, (think of that as the weft). The smallest piece that he
Comer’s carpet comes to light as fused glass, a can cut with a traditional glasscutter is ¼" wide (the
woven illusion that begs touch for proof of medium. warp). And together, when melted just right, the glass
Comer’s fascination with glass began more than seeks its preferred thickness of about ¼".
20 years ago with a stained glass course at San “If you start graphing designs with multiples of these
Francisco City College. Inspired by the stunning dimensions, it all starts looking pretty familiar. The
painted details of historic San Francisco windows, ancestors have been down this path over and over.”
he studied glass painting and then started enhanc- Textiles are just the starting point for his design
ing his panels by mixing in kiln-fired components inspiration. Comer seeks to offer his own modern
with traditional stained glass techniques. interpretation of ancient artifacts. “Baskets and
His current work employs fused glass to evoke mats are among the earliest utensils/tools devel-
aboriginal textiles from around the world. Unlike blown oped by people. I see my work as a riff on life’s
glass, where the artist works with hot, molten masses, basic necessities — amplified and decorated, but
fused glass is worked cold. Comer starts by cutting up still just a tray or a basket.”
sheets of colored glass into smaller pieces, arranged Comer weaves history and medium, technique
together, and kiln-melted into a new unified piece of and design, bringing the modern and traditional full
glass. A single firing takes about 14 hours, and each of circle, all while pleasantly defying expectation.
Comer’s finished pieces requires up to five firings. —Goli Mohammadi
Much like traditional textile weaving, at the heart
of Comer’s technique is geometry, and the limitless
Photograph by Sam Murphy
