Glass Organs – the glass body in Toyota campaign

Glass Models, fabricated by Farlow Scientific Glassblowing for the medical industry

The British Museum crystal skull

The concept of  ‘glass anatomy’ could be regarded in many ways: a form of contemporary art pushing forward the old art of glass-blowing, a metaphor for human fragility, a tool for scientific research in different fields, from medicine to car-crash testing.

Anyhow, the theme inspires me a lot and I’m sure it deserves a closer look. Think about the legendary crystal skulls in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture and their replicas displayed in museums around the world. Or Aimee Mullins’ transparent prosthesis in Matthew Barney’s Cremaster 3. In the realm of fashion, too, glass meets body delivering stunning effects (see Naomi Filmer‘s jewelry or Margiela’s transparent designs).