looking glass: apertura series
A new series of work by glass artist Laura Murdoch, the result of Murdoch’s recent interest in patterned amphoric shapes.
Check Out her Artist Talk & More by clicking HERE
Departing from previous work, this series of vessels is smaller and heavier – with some vessels reaching fifteen pounds.
Their heft is a result of encasing numerous layered patterns inside glass, an advancement in Murdoch’s labor-intensive patterning process. With each new layer, the object is cooled, patterned in a sandblaster, and reheated for continuation.
The open and humble shape of Murdoch’s newest vessels permits the viewer to concentrate on colour and pattern. By cutting the object in cross section, the artist brings into sharp focus the intricacy of the layered internal structure.
Apertura Calleido (2020) by Laura MurdochCraft Council of British Columbia
Apertura Calleido
Each outer layer becomes a window, allowing partial glimpses through to the inner layers.
Central to Murdoch’s work is the idea of containment. While the open form of these objects may challenge traditional understandings of the vessel and of containment, this form allows light to enter, generating a dialogue between the object, light, and color.
Each object of the Apertura Series is filled with light, revealing the beautiful color that is created when light meets glass.
For Looking Glass: Apertura Series, I create simple straightforward vessel blown glass shapes onto which I “paint” layers of intricate and exuberant patterns.
I do not just paint these patterns onto to the glass, but within the glass using sand-carving. Drawing patterns on both the inside and outside of the vessel draws the eye of the viewer to look closely at what is inside.
Through the “apertures” of the patterns on the outside the internal patterns are visible.
This process [of creating these vessels] is fraught with risk and also exhilaration. There have been many accidents and many tears, but the joy I feel when it all comes together is worth the high price.
Learn more about Laura's glass making process HERE
Born in Vancouver and raised in the Yukon, Laura Murdoch has found inspiration in the intense vibrant colorings of her surroundings. For over ten years, the artist studied glass blowing and worked alongside the William Morris Team at the Pilchuck Glass School (Stanwood, WA).
Currently, Murdoch makes and teaches at Terminal City Glass (Vancouver). She is represented in galleries across both Canada and the United States and has recently shown work at CircleCraft (Vancouver), Pilchuck Glass School, and Seymour Art Gallery (Deep Cove).
Photography: Alex Montes
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