Susan Rankin
Through the past 30 years as a glass artist I have explored the idea of garden through my work. In recent projects I continue this exploration, but the focus is now on developing sculptural glass objects to adorn the gardens and outdoor spaces that have been my source of inspiration for so long. We are all constantly surrounded by something. (Read more below)
The landscape that surrounds us shapes us and influences us as we function within it. I live in a hard wood forest on the edge of the Canadian Precambrian Shield, the change in this landscape from season to season has inspired me to examine how the glass columns can evoke a new sense of space, by enlarging the groupings of columns to evoke the feeling of forest or grove. I have worked with scale to create a presence; they demand that observers engage with them in a more physical and direct way. Using numerous columns to define a space, I incorporate light through the multiple transparent or opaque glass elements. Drawing on natural and abstracted forms I have created a series of work, which is harmonious and compelling through the seasons. Light is the critical element for glass in both indoor and outdoor settings. The shifting movement of the light throughout the day illuminates the beauty of the glass elements, creating moments when it appears that the colour itself sings and that colour is actually commanding the space. When lit at night the columns take on a dramatic jewel like quality. The illumination of the coloured shafts is reminiscent of coloured lights reflecting off the surface of water at night with a slight ripple. This integration of light and object is something that I have been exploring throughout my work with sculptural forms.