Few things are cozier than breakfast or pie at your favorite diner. You can almost smell pancakes and coffee while looking at this miniature version of a sleek, chrome, 1930s-era diner created in glass in painstaking detail. Artist Emily Brock studied clothing and textiles at Oregon State University, but she found that as an artist, “translating [her] thoughts into glass seemed so logical and inviting.” Her choice of an early modern diner suggests nostalgia for a time when such streamlined structures declared optimism in the future.

However, Brock’s diner resonates in its emptiness. The presence of the patrons is felt in details such as the newspaper, dropped napkin, and empty glass with straw. As Brock noted, “Upon entering the diner I was aware of all those who visited before.”

Image Description: A meticulously crafted miniature glass sculpture of a classic Art Deco diner surmounted by a clock. An L-shaped white countertop is lined with six barstools. Behind the counter is a cash register, drinkware, and a shelf lined with pies. To the left, on the back wall, is a black-and-red menu board. The right side features a small kitchen area with a sink, stove, and oven. The floor of the kitchen area simulates checked tiles of alternating gray and white. On the countertop are scattered details including a newspaper and an empty glass with a red straw.