Glass and metal are an unexpected pairing—one fragile, and the other formidable—but they’re not as different as you may think. Both are formed with heat and cool into a fixed position. They are fundamental elements in our everyday life, from the gadgets we use to the buildings we inhabit. Both have been used in the creation of art for thousands of years.

Image: Howard Ben Tré, American, born 1949. Two, 2002. Cast glass, lead, pigmented waxes. 60 × 29 1/2 × 15 1/2 inches. Courtesy of the Isabel Foundation, L2017.15