Includes bibliographical references (pages 282-286).

Foreword and acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Glass in the twentieth century: an overview -- Glass at the beginning of modernism -- The origins and significance of the studio glass movement -- Glass outside the studio glass movement -- Glass during modernism and postmodernism -- Modernism and postmodernism -- The complexity of glass -- Glass and modernism -- Henri Matisse and the Chapelle du Rosaire -- Marcel Duchamp and the Bridge Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even -- Glass and postmodernism -- Modernism and postmodernism reconsidered -- Glass: a true postmodern medium -- A history of myths, craft and the art of painting -- The origin of glass: the beginning of a myth -- Earliest history: from myth to magic -- Roman glass: from magic to function -- The Renaissance: more function and decoration -- Stained glass: a different story -- Glass, science and philosophy -- Glass and the art of painting -- Gerhard Richter: a link between past and present -- A scientific approach to glass -- The definition of glass -- The structure of glass -- The complexity of glass -- States of matter -- Is glass a liquid or a solid? -- The fourth state of matter? -- Glass in a contemporary context -- A material immateriality -- The interface between reality and virtuality -- The real in-between and the glass/virtuality symbiosis -- A new look at contemporary glass -- Direct virtuality -- Emotional virtuality -- Rational virtuality -- Historical virtuality -- Virtuality -- Epilogue.

\'Glass: Virtual, Real\' is a unique publication that explores the increasing use of glass in contemporary art as a relatively new artistic medium in the broader context of art history. Sculptor and educator Koen Vanderstukken investigates how postmodern art has brought glass to the forefront as a breakthrough art medium due to its intriguing qualities. The book explores the impact of glass on the contemporary art scene, focusing on how artists are using the medium in exciting ways in their practices. This section includes works by contemporary artists such as Gerhard Richter, Josiah Mcelheny, Mona Hatoum, Fred Wilson, Jan Fabre, Wim Delvoye, Joseph Kosuth, Dani Karavan, Ann Veronica Janssens, Dan Graham, Dustin Yellin, Javier Perez, James Carpenter, Olafur Eliasson, Koen Vanmechelen and many more. Providing fascinating insight into the impact of glass as a medium on contemporary art, this book will appeal to historians, educators, students, artists and academics.