Glass is a fluid suspended in time. With the appearance of a solid and the molecular structure of a liquid, it occupies a threshold state. Glass artistry is similarly liminal. A revered tradition, its status all too often hinges on its history rather than its precarious future.

Running from 27th to 31st August, Cracked was an exhibition confronting the realities of present UK glass artists and their craft. Ancillary to the International Festival of Glass, hosted in St Helens for the first time, Cracked was an intentional gathering of contemporary works and collections. Despite the odds, glass art breathes in the recesses of our towns and cities. Like glass, it withstands extremity, perhaps thrives with it, emerging in ambitious forms that unsettle our understanding of the craft.

On immediate arrival to the exhibiting space, a wooden frame beckons entry. It is a construct within a construct. A threshold state. In its interior: a column of laser etched acrylic glass (Mali Non) ascends to the ceiling, appearing like the spine of a crystalline beast. From dark, richly textured panels, carved letters appear (Liam Cosford): messages scraped in the unwashed grime of a car window .

Tucked in the outer panels are a personal collection of books that gesture to the inexorable bind of the history of St Helens to the history of glass. This is further chronicled in a nearby print, which speaks of the historical ubiquity of glass in the homes of local residents.

In an adjoining space, glossy forms flicker on each side of the room. Propped by silver door shutters, a fragmented car detail (John Carney) glints like the gills of a large, wet, cherry-red fish. Suspended from the ceiling are molten forms (Lucy Evans) that have twisted and solidified into a curious topology, evocative of a rush of water over a cliffside.

Cracked apprehends the immediacy of contemporary glass artistry and the conditions required for its subsistence, chiefly dedicated spaces and support. Eschewing nostalgia, Cracked reveals how glass artists continue to experiment with and push the boundaries of their medium, giving us a glimpse into the prospects of a near endangered craft.

Cracked

Street and a Half, Haydock Street, St Helens

27 – 31 August 2026

Exhibition information: produced by Tobias Ferguson, facilitated by Gee Collins. Featuring works by Amber Hahn, Gee Collins, Liam Cosford, John Carney, Mali Non, and Lucy Evans. Hosted at Street and a Half, St Helens.

All photographs thanks to Matthew Wood.