Leading the way in leadwork
Mark Barrett, Glass Express Midlands’ in-house lead artist, talks to us about his 35-year experience in the glass industry, and how he sees the future for lead artists amid the backdrop of increased automation.
Total Fabricator: Hi Mark. How long you have been in the industry?
Mark Barrett: I’ve been at Glass Express Midlands for 17 years, but I have been a lead artist since I was 18. I’m 54 now, so I’m showing my age!
I’ve been in the trade for quite a while, and I like to think that the trade has been good to me in return.
TF: And how has Glass Express Midlands changed in that time?
MB: The growth has been exponential. We’ve gone from one unit that just distributed stock sheets, to being as big as we are now, making thousands of units per week, processing glass and supplying cut sizes.
There are so many variants of glass now compared to what you had when I was 18, too. Toughened glass was a rarity back then – you’d have annealed 20mm units as a standard for pretty much every application.
But now it’s all toughened and there are obviously a lot more regulations about glazing and glass types now, so it’s far safer.
TF: And what is your favourite part of your role?
MB: I enjoy doing the variety. Obviously, there’s the standard designs like diamond lead, but it’s also nice to get the unusual requests that are more challenging and different. It requires a different skill.
TF: And why do you think your role has stood the test of time, despite increased automation in the industry?
MB: It’s a craft. Every single piece I make is bespoke and involves meticulous precision and attention to detail; it’s hard for a machine to do that.
And machines don’t have the eye that a human has. I make sure that every piece is perfect before it leaves my station and check each detail as I go along. But a machine will just spit it out and rely upon someone to quality check it at the other end.
But crucially, a machine can’t replace my experience. I can advise the sales team when they have a complicated request from a customer, or alternate between techniques based on the design, using the skills I’ve learned over the years. A computer programme could never replicate that – it’s too binary.
TF: And finally, what are your plans for the future?
MB: I hope to retire in a few years at 60, so in the meantime, I’d like to get a leadwork apprentice at Glass Express Midlands to train up and pass on all of my knowledge to!
