An exhibition that reveals an exciting new wave in British glass blowing opens on Saturday 03 September at Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill.
The Crafts Council's touring exhibition – 'Breath Taking: revealing a new wave in British glass blowing' – presents cutting-edge work in blown glass by 22 makers including a revolver, a scale model of a futuristic apartment block and to-scale glass wind instruments.
The exhibition features five exemplary pieces from the Crafts Council Collection and 17 new commissioned pieces. The Crafts Council Collection was established in 1972 and covers the whole range of contemporary craft practice with 1,400 objects from established figures and upcoming names.
Also featured is a film of a one-off musical performance using a hand-blown glass trombone by Kate Williams with an original score created by local artists during the exhibition's run at DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery.
The thought-provoking work in the exhibition complements Aberdeen Art Gallery's small but prominent glass collection that spans from the 18th century to 20th century.
Alison Fraser, Lead Curator (Collections Access) at Aberdeen City Council, said: "We are delighted to welcome this exhibition to Aberdeen. Combining traditional techniques with innovative ideas, it will give visitors the chance to view recent developments in British glass blowing through inspiring work."
Rosy Greenlees, Executive Director of the Crafts Council, added: "Breath Taking is a great opportunity to see some of the most exciting blown glass being made in the UK today."
The makers featured in Breath Taking are: Committee, Dominic Cooney, Anna Dickinson, Carrie Fertig, El Ultimo Grito, Stewart Hearn, Shelley James, Jessica Lloyd-Jones, Joanna Manousis, James Maskrey, Carl Nordbruch, Stephen Proctor, Layne Rowe, Elaine Sheldon, Sam Sweet, Louis Thompson, Ben Walters, Richard Wheater, Christopher Williams, Kate Williams, Emma Woffenden and Rachael Woodman.
The touring exhibition is at the gallery until Saturday 29 October 2011. It will then go on display later this year [2 December 2011 – 28 January 2012] at Oriel Wrecsam, Wrexham.
For more information on the UK tour visit the Breath Taking website.
