Birmingham’s architectural, industrial and manufacturing heritage has informed my work both conceptually and aesthetically. My great great grandfather was a glassblower for Chance Brothers Glassworks, once a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glassmaking technology in Smethwick, Birmingham. I am actively investigating my personal heritage within Birmingham as well as my grandparents' histories with the materials that we share a passion for and how this influences my practice. This has inspired me to embrace the art of the historical craftsmanship in a contemporary way that focuses on design as well as process.
Within my practice, I use steel and glass to create contemporary one-off sculptures inspired by my heritage that are characterised by a minimal and industrial aesthetic. My work uses a monochrome colour palette, highlighting the variations and shapes created by the steel grid structures I create as they dictate the forms and surface pattern of the glass. Steel is typically not compatible with glass; however, I explore beyond the traditional preconceptions and extremities of the materials. To create these sculptures, I use an experimental approach to traditional mould blowing which was invented in 1 AD. My work has the added historical provenance of being made at the Red House Glass Cone in Stourbridge, Birmingham, which was built at the end of the 18th century and continued to produce glasswares until 1936. It is the only complete glass cone in the area and one of only four left in the United Kingdom. Glass manufacturing was once the lifeblood of the local community and a significant part of Britain's manufacturing strength. I would like to use this opportunity to continue my research into my familial ties at Chance Brothers Glassworks and produce a series of glass works responding to the findings.
Birmingham’s architectural, industrial and manufacturing heritage has informed my work both conceptually and aesthetically. My great great grandfather was a glassblower for Chance Brothers Glassworks, once a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glassmaking technology in Smethwick, Birmingham. I am actively investigating my personal heritage within Birmingham as well as my grandparents' histories with the materials that we share a passion for and how this influences my practice. This has inspired me to embrace the art of the historical craftsmanship in a contemporary way that focuses on design as well as process.
Within my practice, I use steel and glass to create contemporary one-off sculptures inspired by my heritage that are characterised by a minimal and industrial aesthetic. My work uses a monochrome colour palette, highlighting the variations and shapes created by the steel grid structures I create as they dictate the forms and surface pattern of the glass. Steel is typically not compatible with glass; however, I explore beyond the traditional preconceptions and extremities of the materials. To create these sculptures, I use an experimental approach to traditional mould blowing which was invented in 1 AD. My work has the added historical provenance of being made at the Red House Glass Cone in Stourbridge, Birmingham, which was built at the end of the 18th century and continued to produce glasswares until 1936. It is the only complete glass cone in the area and one of only four left in the United Kingdom. Glass manufacturing was once the lifeblood of the local community and a significant part of Britain's manufacturing strength. I would like to use this opportunity to continue my research into my familial ties at Chance Brothers Glassworks and produce a series of glass works responding to the findings.
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