Adam Aaronson's new work goes on display at the end of the month. Pic courtesy Zest Gallery
Exhibition preview: Adam Aaronson - Strata, Zest Contemporary Glass Gallery, London, January 29 - March 28 2009.
Adam Aaronson, so the story goes, was a rather late taker to the art of glass. He’d left university with a degree in International Relations, and it was only a chance glassblowing lesson in 1977 which revealed his ability at the form.
It’s no surprise, then, that would-be successors to his status as one of the UK’s finest exponents of glasswork can take lessons in the method at his studios these days, next door to the gallery where his latest work goes on show.
Inspired by a long-held fascination for “layers in the natural world”, including rock formations and glacial structures, Strata is described as a “technically challenging and mature body of work”, examining and interpreting elements normally hidden below the surface of the landscape.
“With Strata I have switched my focus to layered structures,” elaborates Aaronson, who can be spotted furrowing gleefully at steaming plates and decorating recently-glugged wine bottles on his website.
“The initial trials were fairly formal, but the new pieces are intentionally freer and more relaxed. The work also reflects many aspects of everyday life and not just the natural world – we build roads and houses in layers, we wear layers of clothing, we even cook in layers.
This idea of layers has interested me and permeated through my work for more than 15 years. With Landscapes, I build up the surface colour and texture in layer upon layer using silver leaf and glass powders and frits. With my Stones series there is a layer of colour on the inside and layers of clear frosted glass on the outside, so that there is a feeling of a glass skin, which mirrors the layered structure of real skin.
“I’ve often noticed, when a building is being demolished, that you can see layers of wallpaper and paintwork, overlapping as they peel away. I see this as an allegory for looking beneath the surface – often things are not as they seem and you shouldn’t judge by appearances.”
Zest Contemporary Art Gallery, Roxby Place, London. Open 10am-6pm Tues-Sat
Keep up to date with 24 Hour Museum's exhibition news, reviews and previews with iGoogle - a more personal way to use Google.com
