Focusing on the design of contemporary glassware, William’s current work is a synthesis of traditional glass forms derived from modern, ubiquitous non-glass materials. Utilizing single-use plaster blow-molds, William imparts tactile and optical qualities to glass that invite the user to reconsider the properties of textiles and plastics. Value, flexibility, surface, and tradition are some of the preconceptions William’s work attempts to explore.

William’s textile-derived line of glassware, ‘Crumpleware’, has the textured surface of bent and folded polyester cloth. The structural properties of the original woven material define the manner in which these folds and bends are translated into blown glass, imparting unique tactile and optical qualities that reference both the textile and the glass. The utilitarian nature of these objects draws attention to these references with every use.

Similarly, William’s bubblewrap-derived, ‘Bubbleware’, reconsiders a material that is often overlooked and discarded. Disposable and considered only for its packaging properties, this material reveals a highly optical nature when transformed into glass. Normally popped, bent, folded and wrinkled, when blown in glass the surface becomes complex and highly reflective. Transforming an ephemeral material into something lasting and functional, the protective wrapping has become the fragile object of beauty.