Stephen Rolfe Powell

This definitive volume vividly chronicles the glass artist's remarkable work and unique methods as they evolved over the course of his career.

Internationally renowned glass artist Stephen Rolfe Powell created his work in a quiet outpost of rural Kentucky. The radiant murrini skins of his glass vessels have an old Italian pedigree, yet his techniques were radically American in their dramatic individuality. He stood among modern glass's most nuanced explorers of light and color.


The stunning photographs in this book showcase Powell's work from different viewpoints, highlighting the unique interactions of transparent, opaque, and translucent glass and Powell's bold color combinations. Photographic close-ups detail the luminous murrini patterns that became Powell's signature, revealing new ways of appreciating the complex interplay of color and texture in his art.


Biographical and analytical essays by Mark Lucas, Laurie Winters, and James Yood explore Powell's unique, team-based process; his teaching and learning experiences on the road, from the former Soviet Union to Salt Lake City during the Olympics; and the two freak injuries that deeply affected his approach to his work. Reflections by Kenn Holsten, Marvin Lipofsky, Dante Marioni, Bonnie Marx, John Roush, and Lino Tagliapietra further supplement the book.