Vessel Gallery London - Contemporary Art-Glass Sculpture and Decorative Art. Exhibitions, Sales and Commissions.

Title

Vug in Turquoise II

EDITION

Unique

dimensions

H 17 cm W 23 cm D 13 cm

Material

Handblown & sculpted glass

price

POA

about

An intense mass of pure blue appears trapped within an icy, clear exterior. Taking inspiration from rock formations, geodes and the treasures that can be found deep beneath the surface of the earth, Donaldson creates sublime, stylised representations that are an explosion of colour. Her soft amorphic forms allow the inner hue to warp, merge and dazzle, as the work is viewed from differing angles.

In her own words:

“Rock collections fascinate me. I am particularly interested in ‘Lapidaries’, the professional craftsmen that became skilled at cutting precious stones to obtain the best optical effect.

I am therefore exploring the parallels between this and my work, individual specimens capture the succession of events and hint at the transformation to its present state.

Minerals like agate form under intense pressure and heat, I am intrigued by the way that such multi-layered and multi-coloured order forms out of such chaos.

An associated interest of mine is ‘Stratigraphy’, the study of rock layers and layering. Deposition of one layer is separated from the next by a clear interval or change in texture, colour, or mineralogy. Layers may merge with one another so that boundaries between them are unclear.

As I cut and polish the surface of my specimens, my excitement of enquiring cold work techniques liberate the curious lore of this precious material and bring my forms to life. I thrill to see the freshly exposed interior, reveal the captured fragments of the moment of its formation.

I have always been particularly interested by the interactions between humans and objects, how one encounters an unfamiliar object of desire”

Samantha Donaldson

Vug in Turquoise II