Theme Day: Biot Glass

One of the must-sees on the tourist itinerary is the glass works at Biot, a village just in from the coast between Antibes and Villeneuve Loubet, where you can watch glassblowers actually creating some of the glassware on sale in the shop. It's an interesting experience though it's hard to imagine how they can stand the heat in the Summer; there's no point in air conditioning when your mouth is pressed inches away from molten glass and there are furnaces blazing away in the background.
I took the photo in the cool air of the gallery where various glass sculptures and other items are for sale.

These are the City Daily photo sites participating in this month's theme day.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Almost Nice: Biot and Roland Brice.

We're still in Biot staring through the window of the small museum in the centre of the village at examples of ceramics done by well known artists associated with Biot.
Roland Brice was born in 1949 and was much influenced by Fernand Leger. There are examples of his work in the Fernand Leger museum which stands outside the village of Biot. It's well worth a look if you enjoy modern art.

Almost Nice: Biot and Fernand Leger

Back to Biot simply because I had paperwork to do there. Whilst there I happened upon a small museum that I'd never noticed before. I don't often go to the village itself because the parking's a nuisance and Murphy's Law dictated that the museum was shut, of course, but there were some interesting exhibits in the window including this nice ceramic piece done by Fernand Leger.

I did my best with the photo and though the colours have come out quite well, they really were stunning, I haven't been able to capture the sheen of the glaze unfortunately.

Almost Nice: Biot Glass 2

The last of my photos from the glass works. Attached to the Verrerie is a gallery exhibiting glass sculptures and glass objects made by designers. Some of them are fabulously beautiful with prices to match but, because, of the lights and reflections don't photograph well.
This piece embodies many of the qualities I look for in anything I choose for my home: pure clean lines and sparkling colours. I took the photo just before Christmas because I was out Christmas shopping and was looking for something special, a little different, and the piece is off centre in the photo because I wanted to capture the price for future reference...160 euros.

Almost Nice: La Verrerie De Biot

Here's a glance at some of the glass made at the Verrerie de Biot. It's chief characteristic is the tiny air bubbles that are trapped in the glass while it's being blown which you can actually watch. In fact to see the glassblowers working in high temperatures during the summer with the ovens going full blast is to understand dedication; either that or they actually enjoy showing off their rear ends in their skimpy shorts!
They make glasses for all occasions in a rainbow of colours. I have a set of blue goblets which are intended for water but white wine tastes good out of them too.

Almost Nice: A Rant About Biot.

This photo should illustrate all that drives me nuts about provencal planning. Biot is a sublimely pretty village perched on its rocky outcrop. There it is on the skyline silhouetted against that magnificent Cote d'Azur sky. Now just take a glance at the monstrosity at the base of the hill. How could anyone imagine that the concrete bunker style of architecture would marry with the beauty of a provencal village?
The Gallery and the boutiques are part of the glass works complex for which Biot is famous, well, at least round here, and attracts huge numbers of visitors. This dirty, stained concrete should really be ripped down and replaced with something more sensitively designed.
What do you think? Am I nit picking or do I have a valid point?