Jerwood Makers Showcase at London Glassblowing

As part of their exhibitions programme, The Gallery at London Glassblowing will showcase the intriguing and innovative work of Jerwood Makers Open* winners, Heike Brachlow (2011) and Louis Thompson (2012). Here is a wonderful opportunity to view and acquire stunning, contemporary sculpture from two of the UK’s finest glass artists.

At the London Glassblowing showcase Heike Brachlow will exhibit original pieces from her Jerwood Makers Open commission: a series of delicately balanced, kiln-cast, polished glass sculptures, inspired by balancing toys. Brachlow combines laser-cut stainless steel with the glass to stunning effect.

New work will be exhibited alongside: large-scale pieces, which further the artist’s fascination with balance, including new additions to the Theme and Variations series, developed during Brachlow’s recent PhD research at the Royal College of Art.

Louis Thompson’s response to the Jerwood Makers Open commission was to create a series of mesmerizing blown glass forms, the initial fluid form manipulated to create sensuous creases, wrinkles and folds, then combined with water and light to create distortion and ambiguity. Two of these installations, 'Hive' and 'You Reap What You Sow', will be central to the display at London Glassblowing’s Jerwood Makers Showcase.

Thompson sets out to challenge the viewers’ perception of what they see; the temptation is to reach out and touch, to use tactile cues to understand what the eye cannot resolve. Alongside his remarkable Jerwood Makers Open commissions, Thompson will present new work, including a striking new series of richly coloured free-blown glass bottles.

In addition, at 11am and 2pm on Saturday 21st September, Jerwood Makers Showcase artist, Louis Thomson will demonstrate his ideas within glass at London Glassblowing’s studio, located within the gallery.

All of the pieces exhibited by London Glassblowing in their Jerwood Makers Showcase will be available for sale. Prices start at £1,130 for pieces by Heike Brachlow, at £720 for pieces by Louis Thompson. The gallery also stocks an extensive collection of work by Peter Layton and the London Glassblowing team priced from £50 - £10,000.

*Jerwood Makers Open
Launched in 2011 as part of the Jerwood Visual Arts (JVA) programme, Jerwood Makers Open is a major initiative of the Jerwood Charitable Foundation designed to support and showcase emerging artists working at the forefront of applied arts. Carefully selected artists, working in different fields, are offered Jerwood Makers Open prizes in the form of significant bursaries to create ambitious new commissions which push the boundaries of their craft practice. These new commissions are presented at the annual Jerwood Makers Open exhibition.