About the examStudent response

Location

• The glasshouse location is ideal for this sculpture as it allows natural light to pass through the transluscent glass showing the subtle colour changes. The quality of light will change with the weather and affect how the sculpture looks.
• The sculpture has been suspended from the ceiling, high above the vistors. This forces them to look up and it might give them the idea of being underwater because of the sculpture being seen against the blue sky above.
• The sculpture takes up the full length of the glasshouse making it the main feature. The curvilinear arrangement makes you follow its undulating line from start to finish.

Form

• The organic forms made out of transluscent glass are reminiscent of jelly fish which contributes to the ‘under water’ feeling that the sculpture suggests.
• The supports for the sculpture have been integrated into the form, so they are not immediately obvious. This gives the impression that the sculpture is floating in the empty space of the glasshouse.
• It looks as if each glass form has been made individually as they are all similar yet different. This would have been time consuming but shows great attention to detail, making the sculpture more interesting to look at.
• The repetition of many smaller individual forms makes the scale of the work colossal. This gives the piece a dramatic visual impact.

Materials

• The sculpture is made from glass in a colour palette of warm yellows and oranges which contrasts well with the cool blue of the sky above, drawing attention to the sculpture.
• Glass is an unusual material for a sculpture. It is very fragile and it must have been difficult to produce a sculpture on this scale made from this material. It would have needed a high level of skill.
• It looks as if the sculpture has been fixed to metal rods, like stems, so that you don’t really notice them. This gives the illusion that the sculpture is light and floating, whereas glass is actually a fairly heavy material.