It is the sensuous nature and dynamism of glass that intrigue me. It has a tremendous and almost unique gift for the sculptor - the fourth dimension, its interior.
My initial focus is form. Once that emerges abstractly from the ‘ether’ or concretely from personal experiences such as trekking a rocky piste, soaring on thermals or scuba diving, enveloped by a sea, I integrate texture, size and finally colour to engage light in a fascinating interplay.
Beyond the surface, where the form can appear deceptively placid, even stolid, I enjoy orchestrating a veritable dance of veils and currents to perform an energetic counterpoint. Traces of bubbles map the lines of fusion, giving a lyrical, almost primeval tempo. Similarly, completely clear voids can draw one in like a powerful magnet, stimulating introspection and contemplation, and demonstrating that ‘nothing’ can indeed be ‘quite something’!
My works come to life via the traditional lost wax pate de verre process where chunks of glass take on a new form when they melt within moulds in high temperature kilns. The original models are made in wax, but I also use clay, Styrofoam, plaster and hardened sand. The brilliant colours and clarity of the pieces come from using high lead crystal, optical glass, and elbow grease!
|
