╬╬ Antoine Benoit ╬╬

Antoine Benoit was born into a family of traditional master glassmakers, who had been cultivating this art for generations at Nancy, Eastern France, in which tradition Antoine continued as of 1952. He is a member of the Société des Auteurs
dans les Arts Plastiques et Graphiques ADAGP. The special technique he developed allows him to use organic transparent
and coloured glass which will neither be lead-framed nor glued together

Stained Glass

Credo
For some 50 years Antoine Benoit had a dream that his paintings may sing and vibrate through their transparency and multiple layers of glass. He dreamt that his paintings should brighten up our lives and induce us to meditate, thus bring about happiness.

His imagination finally found impetus in this idea of integrating light into his creations.

Techniques
Since all his paintings are made of ophthalmic quality glass, they are transparent, light and unbreakable. Metal oxides are eminently suitable to colour glass, as they lend transparency and an apparent depth to the work of art.

The paintings develop their final character and beauty by receiving layer upon layer of various glass formations under high temperatures; hence the apparent glaze over an opticalillusion which is, however, reality.

In 1994, after 40 years of research, Antoine Benoit took out a patent of VITRAIL SANS PLOMB, SANS CIMENT ET SANS COLLAGE DU VERRE which meant that the technology of making stained glass had to be rewritten. This new technique then provided the properties which stained glass had hitherto been lacking: SECURITY, i.e. due to its unbreakability against vandalism; its THERMAL qualities, unsulating against heat or cold; its ACOUSTIC properties by keeping e.g. traffic noise out.

Stained glass in Architecture
The coloured glass painting may be attached to walls as may any other paintings: either enhanced by light (led lamps) and thus offering additional magic effects, or without light, as well as suspending them against a window.
Since 1952 the artist has created a number of stained glass windows for churches in France and abroad (all together some 50 objects) as well as for public buildings.
IN 2006 the artist created stained glass windows for the church of Bouzy in Champagne (France), each one 4.50m in height and each one made up of one single piece. This was a veritable world première !

Together with the Cristalleries de Baccarat the artist created slabs and mosaic designs for the façade of a public building in Mexico commissioned by Raymond Loewy.

In the past Antoine Benoit worked together with Le Corbusier, Mies v.d. Rohe, and Renzo Piano.