Seen from up close, the creations of Swiss artist Simon Berger look
more like vandalism, but take a few steps back and you’ll notice the
cracks in the smashed glass panes form clear and complex portraits and
images.
Berger admits that as an artist, he had the desire to be taken
seriously, to attract attention, and the easiest way to do that was to
use a material or a creative technique than no one had used before. The
trained carpenter decided that laminated glass was not very popular as
an artistic medium, so he started experimenting with it, developing an
original technique that involved smashing the glass with hammer and
chisel to create detailed and recognizable patterns. Having honed his
skills, Simon Berger is now able to wield this wilful destruction to
create stunning human portraits that are only visible from afar.
The Swiss artist begins the creative process by taking photos of models
whose portraits he plans to smash onto the panes of laminated glass. He
then processes the photos on his laptop and prints out the final
version. When he’s ready to start working on the pane of glass, Berger
uses marker to mark the areas he should smash with the hammer more, and
those that shouldn’t be smashed at all. He told DW’s Euromaxxx
that the grey areas that only require a bit of smashing are the most
difficult, because even a hammer blow too many can ruin the whole
artwork.
Simon Berger prefers laminated glass because it doesn’t shatter the
first time you strike it with a hammer or chisel, but it’s still
remarkable how he’s able to control how the small cracks develop to
leave his portraits looking so detailed. His favorite medium is cars’
windshields, but he can also work on laminated glass storefronts, as he
recently demonstrated.
Simon Berger’s stunning art got a lot of attention after his most
recent creation, a woman’s portrait painstakingly smashed into the glass
storefront of a Basel shop was featured on Bored Panda. The photos posted there quickly went viral and spread on social media, leaving most viewers in awe.
“Human faces have always fascinated me,” the artist said. “On safety
glass, these motifs come into their own and magically attract visitors.
It is a discovery from abstract fogging to figurative perception.”
For more of Simon Berger’s innovative art,check out his official website and Facebook page.
