Jiri Karel (B. 1952) Czech Republic, Art Glass Sculpture. Titled: "Symbol". Created from hot fused float glass, colored cut, polished - clear with tears and graduated red colored leafs. Size: 14 x 9 in. The work of Jir? Karel focuses on the use of floated optical glass slabs hot-welded in compact blocks that he sculpts and tirelessly polishes until the end composition. Often he uses also firing materials, such as pigments, and metal oxides on the glass plates for painting graphic patterns inside and outside of his sculptures. Then his colorations are first heated to the temperature of 560? C and then fused in a compact block. This block is cut according to an artistic design by a diamond saw and then polished by horizontal or vertical disks. In his sculptures, the artist plays subtly with lighting and reflection and the transparent thickness of the material.