Colin Wilkes
Colin Wilkes
Unite glass and concrete 380 x 160mm
Colin Wilkes
Unite - glass and concrete 332 x 160 x 80mm
Colin is a former builder with 15 years of trade experience and a good knowledge of materials especially concrete and timber. His work uses innovative construction methods and a diverse blend of materials; industrial looking concrete combined with vibrant coloured but fragile glass.
He says: ‘When I decided to make the change over to the craft industry, I never imagined that my time in the trades would come in so useful. I now specialise as a glass blower and draw on my old skills with materials so I can combine them with the glass I create in the studio. I use my knowledge of working with concrete and my techniques of making shuttering, to construct moulds for filling with concrete to form permanent structures for blowing into. I will then be able to use the blown glass and the concrete to create the final piece, a half glass half concrete art sculpture. I do this using those same industrial materials from my past career.
The focus of my current practice is to work in a more sustainable way with these chosen materials, by continually reusing them to produce evolving mixed media sculptures. I do this by grinding up the waste concrete back in to fine aggregate then remixing and reforming new moulds, so I can continue creating new works.’
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