Playing-cards
Playing-cards have existed since ancient times, apparently originating in China. In Europe, the oldest pack of cards can be found in the Fournier de Naipes Museum in Spain, and date to around 1400 CE.
The figures on the picture cards have changed over the years. Artists from the past interpreted the picture cards, based on the reigning monarchs of that time. Nowadays, the aesthetics of playing-cards still retains its importance, and artists and illustrators continue to reinterpret the playing-card figures for collectors and non-collectors alike.
The idea to create my own interpretation of playing-cards began last year. It is a long term project that I work on between commissions, teaching stained glass techniques of and creating erotic and non-erotic stained glass art works for the galleries who regularly sells my pieces.
The project includes 4 kings, queens, jacks, and aces as well as a single joker and two stained glass panels that represent the reverse side of the cards: blue and red. The red and blue panels will be created entirely with mouth-blown flash-glass and will be acid etched. Each stained glass playing card panels measures 47cm x 72½ cm and the 19 cards together form a total of 6 ½ m².
Each of the panels will be mounted and displayed in its own light-box and the designs will be printed on paper to create an exclusive deck of playing-cards.