GLASSFIELDS, named after the plot on which it stands, is a site-specific commission celebrating the rich, yet little known, history and industrial heritage of the new Temple Way Development site in Bristol, U.K. Nestled where the ancient goldsmithing quarter once stood, eventually overlooked by impressive Soap Works, this plot of land originally lay fallow just outside of the Medieval city walls. It is this memory of wild meadows and of their scented flowers, which later influenced both 18th century jewellery design and 19th century soap manufacturing, which the artwork evokes.
Fabricated in laser cut steel and powder coated in rich gold, GLASSFIELDS is purposefully ornate and decorative; it is designed to adorn the building on which it rests much like intricate jewellery. Arranged in four unique panels presenting an overarching floral scene, the artwork alludes to bucolic escapism and exoticism; inviting the viewer to wander a newly discovered landscape. As such, it subtly hints to the function of the building that it embellishes as a place to repose and recover when travelling through distant lands.
Dimensions: 4 x (1.98 m x 2.98m)
Powder Coated Stainless steel, LEDs
Photography: Copyright Max McClure