A former Forth Valley College Art & Design student is officially a glass apart with his creative skills after his work was exhibited at the Scottish Glass Society’s ‘Celebration’ show recently (18-25 September).
The exhibition – held at Trades House in Glasgow - was a celebration of the Society’s 40 years and showed a collection of works spanning the many methods of glass art. The piece - produced by Steven Graham (53) from Airdrie, Lanarkshire - was prominently displayed and, given its size and luminosity, received much attention and was sold as a result.
Steven, who is now in year four of his BA Honours Art & Design at the University of Stirling, said: “I was very proud of its display as it represented the culmination of 3 years of studying glass, art and design. I was delighted when I learned that the piece had been sold at the exhibition as it gave an affirmation that my art is relatable and desirable. I was asked if I was saddened by losing such a personal piece, and I wasn’t; the joy of the piece had come from researching it, from the journey of reflecting on my family’s life, from sitting with each of them and reflecting on what their lives meant to them, and from the making of a representation that opened the lives in an honest and open way.
“My work is called ‘Antemortem’ and is a family totem depicting the ongoing life journeys of my wife, my two children and myself. It originates from my research into religions and belief systems and how both life and death are represented. I was fascinated by the manner by which archaeologists find an item, seek clues that suggest its origins and purpose and, coupled with establish academia, they offer an interpretation. I wanted my totem to invite such interpretation.
“I based the overall form on high rise domestic flats, a structure that has grown and died during my life time. These ‘concrete jungle’ buildings are reflected in the concrete base. This sets the piece in a specific timeline.
“The totems are made of fused opaque and transparent glass, with each slice representing a year of life. The horizontal opaque colours represent the stage of life we passed through at that age – school and work for example) with colour reflecting the associated corporate uniform. The vertical transparent colour are illuminated from within the core of the totem and represent the events and activities that we experience and how those experiences travel with us through life, assimilated into our personality. In essence, the work is a portrait of life and not of the person."
Anyone wishing to find out more about FVC's Creative Industries courses should visit www.forthvalley.ac.uk
