Heike Brachlow. Emily Coulson. Sara Fell. Peter Layton This is the fourth annual exhibition in The Gallery at Parndon Mill devoted to works of art in glass. This series of exhibitions has proved to be very successful, glass being one of the most popular materials for creating artwork. Its translucency, colour and sheer beauty cannot fail to appeal. As the reputation of the Glasshaus exhibition grows, more distinguished artists and innovative newcomers have been attracted to showing their work in The Gallery. Last year's Glasshaus III was described as one of the best glass exhibitions to be seen outside London. Taking part once again this year are members of The London Glassblowing Workshop. Peter Layton's London Glassblowing is a hot glass studio focused on the creation and display of contemporary glass art. The studio has a reputation as one of Europe's leading glassmaking workshops with a particular flair for the use of colour, form and texture. The members exhibiting in Glasshaus IV are Peter Layton, Layne Rowe, Bruce Marks and Louis Thompson. Familiar to frequent visitors to The Gallery are two glass artists who share a studio in the mill, Karen Murphy and Ewa Wawrzyniak. Both produce cast glass sculpture. The technique of sand casting offers the artist an immediate, fast, free method of working with glass. It involves pouring hot glass into a mould made out of special, damp casting sand, requiring a significant physical and energetic involvement of the creator. They also make fused glass wall panels and dishes sometimes combining clear and dichroic glass, or adding precious metals and coloured frits. Several of the exhibitors will be showing their work in The Gallery for the first time. Heike Brachlow "I want the viewer to be physically aware of the work, aware of the solidity and weight, the possibility of movement, of chaos. Transparent colour in a large volume draws the eye into the form, bubbles can look like galaxies, and the whole object is affected by the type, intensity and direction of the light". Emily Coulson "My work explores the fundamental reflective and refractive characteristics of glass, using these qualities to create pieces which subtly change or distort the view through the material. My ideas are derived from the urban environment. I wish to use the pieces as a lens through which to see the world". Sara Fell's prize winning work at the V&A's Inspired by… Exhibition 2008, is the 'O' precious series of cast Glass Rings, Bangles and Caches. This series redefines and confronts what we perceive as precious jewellery. |
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This exhibition is sponsored by |
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James Lethbridge "Through the study of botanical sources of inspiration, my work exists as pieces of collected, abstracted, surreal and almost alien pieces of sculptural glass. Derived from many different points of reference, such as twisting vines, microscopic pollen or celestial phenomenon, I explore form, space, material and texture, using only the purity of transparent glass and light". Caroline Moiret "I am interested in the meditative quality of visual objects and draw inspiration from Islamic geometry, Buddhist mandalas and cathedral rose windows such as Notre Dame and Chartres. I am fascinated by the challenges of good design and contemporary minimalism, by the relationship between order and chaos and the technical challenge of setting up collaborative conditions within the kiln which allow the glass to undergo it's unique transformation during the firing process". Emmy-Gai Palmer "I begin a piece by picking up a crochet or knitting needle. My ‘Del Mar’ series, are blown glass with knitted metal inclusions that incorporate colour, inspired by nets and the translucent hues of seaweed caught up in waves and light through the sea. Light projects through these pieces creating wave like shadows". Michael Ray "My work is influenced by creation myths, the primordial, and the constant strokes of ocean on land leaving places enriched with teeming life, mud flats and sand patterns where the rhythms of tide are echoed in the rhythms of life. Here, myth and truth merge". David Roberts "The sculptural kiln glass that I am currently making draws inspiration from the plant and animal life preserved in fossils. The relationship between the organised structure of the fossil and its emergence from the surrounding material provides the inspiration for this new body of work. The materials I combine with the glass are those used in glass and ceramic manufacture. It is an entirely new material and unusual in the fact that it is possible to combine it with float glass in kiln firings. The actual materials used will I am afraid remain a closely guarded secret". Another two artists who have exhibited before at The Gallery are Cathryn Shilling and Sally Tully. Cathryn recently made a career change from graphic design to glass making. "For me glass is the perfect medium, giving me creative and technical freedom and enabling me to produce something tactile, tangible and enduring". Sally utilizes found objects such as driftwood and rust encrusted metal which she carries back to her studio from the beach. ".These items have their own story written upon their worn and battered, but beautiful, surface. I add to that story by making these thing into beautiful pieces of art". For Glasshaus IV one of these amazing structures is mounted on the plinth in the millrace outside The Gallery. |
