Pons Cirac

“The glass angel”

This artist was born in Maella (Zaragoza) on the 11th of June, 1921. When he was a boy he moved to Barcelona, where he died on the 4th of April, 1998.

At the Rubí Vallhonrat Ethnographic Museum we can see XX items on exhibition: XX vases and XX paintings.

He is the author of a surprising, unprecedented art. Their paintings (flat basis) and vases (empty basis) with glass carvings belong an art where drawing and carving creations are very difficult, where admirable perspectives can be seen, where art turns into something unrepeatable and universal. The work of Pons Cirac transforms colour, shape and light through a rigorous and craft work. Pure poetry, reflects, bright mutations, splendid lines, encoded messages with symbologies and allegories only explained by him. Continuous metamorphose shapes depending on the view and the approach. The technique used by master Pons Cirac is completely different because it is based on carving, i.e., by emptying the glass as well in a flat basis as in an empty basis. Therefore he is a bas relief sculptor.

The performance of these works is done by means of an electric lathe that has an axis and different thread changes. The utensils that are used are the carborundum whetstones - to lower the glass-, and the corundum whetstones - to make flat surfaces. Finally some specific cork whetstones are used to brighten and to cast shadows on the surfaces. The latest whetstones need to get previously wet with rough stone mud. This work must be done by hand. The drawing must be sketched on the stone with a pen and then a first hollow must be done. Everything after is done by rule of thumb and it is difficult if we take into account that everything must be worked from the opposite side of the piece. A little mistake is impossible to correct and would mean the loss of many months of hard work. All Pons Cirac’s works are original and are unique in the world.