DFW Starburst

Texas Starburst Sculptures & Dichroic Glass
This Texas Starburst Sculpture is a one-of-a-kind art piece. The Texas background consisting of several layers of fusible glass is hand cut by the artist, Joe Hughes, and then overlaid with dichroic glass. The dichroic glass catches the light and glows or glitters, changing with the angle from which it is viewed. It is extremely difficult to photograph, as they cannot show the beauty of the glass. His wife, Jo, selects each piece of glass to give an appealing array of colors and textures. Joe then cuts and fits each piece precisely together onto the Texas background and it is fired to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. After it is cooled he assembles the base which is an optical crystal square with a clear beveled glass stand to hold the Texas. Each piece is then signed with the year it was made.

About Dichroic Glass

What is Dichroic glass?

Originally developed by NASA and its contractors for use in satellite optics and spacesuit visors, it is glass made from multiple layers of metals such as gold and silver, and metal oxides such as titanium, chromium, aluminum, zirconium, and magnesium, together with silica.

How is it made?

They are vaporized by an electron beam in a vacuum chamber. The vapor then condenses on the surface of the glass in the form of a crystal structure. The finished glass can have as many as 30-50 layers of these materials but are still microscopically thin.

Why is it unique?

Because of the variations in the firing process, individual results can never be predicted, so each piece is unique.

Why is it expensive?

There are only a few manufacturers because of the nature of the way it is made. It is sold by ounce or square inch.

Joe & Jo Hughes
Hughes Art