Description

Purple Sunrise

Purple Sunrise is a landscape bowl that Adam Aaronson has made in his studio in West Horsley. This complex, freeblown glass sculptural vessel is a triumph of composition. The surface is fired with pure silver leaf and textured coloured glass. This creates a dramatic, shimmering perspective.

Inspiration

“I am often up with the dawn, walking the dog before I go to my studio so I tend to see some beautiful sunrises. I recently began experimenting with lustre colours and these have enabled me to capture some of those wonderful sunrises and sunsets that we experience in the Surrey Hills”

When asked what makes one of his landscape bowls different from other glass artists who work on landscape themes, Adam replied

“Every artist sees the same landscape or scene differently and we all develop our own styles. As you hone a technique your work develops and you start to get different results. I approach my work from a painterly perspective and then work out how to achieve it in glass. So perhaps that is why some people have commented that my work can look more like ceramic than glass”

Technique

Adam begins by choosing a palette of powdered glass colours, so he can use these to reflect a landscape that he finds inspiring.

He applies layers of pure silver leaf, delicately adding the powdered colour, to create a soft luminosity. At this point the silver becomes a canvas, depicting the effects of light reflecting on seascapes or forest scenes. Perhaps a change in the seasons or dramatic skies.

The colours melt into the surface by a process of heating and reheating and this builds up unique tones and texture. In this piece Adam has limited himself to three colours. However, their density and  the chemical reactions between them and the silver leaf have produced a rich diversity of tones and textures

Title

Adam then gives each piece a title reflecting his own inspiration.

“I think that although I see a deserted beach in this piece, others might see an arid landscape. Everybody sees something different in the finished piece. It depends on whether skies or trees, the countryside or the sea attracts you most and that reflects the beauty of the whole process”.

Purple Sunrise has a lustrous quality. This can change depending on where you place it. On a windowsill it will change throughout the day with the changes in daylight.