Although glass is my main medium I do not glorify it as a material, in fact I manipulate it in a way that almost destroys its beauty to create a much darker feel to my ideas. I also like to use other materials and found objects in my work that fit to the narrative I am trying to form.
I am driven by a desire to make things and during this making process I have the effects and qualities that glass can give me at the back of my mind. There are elements of both design and decoration in my work and because I use the human figure I find it relatively simple to introduce a narrative which suggests any particular theme or idea I am working on.
Politics and how society affects our lives is always a constant influence. In my current work I am investigating relationships. By using the juxtaposition of the figures, facial expressions, especially the position of the eyes and the angle of the head I try to indicate subtle nuances in our relationships with each other. I combine all these influences in my drawings and these eventually filter through to the work.
Casting and lost wax casting are my main techniques and I find these processes allow me to explore and develop my ideas even before I touch the glass. By modelling in clay and wax I have the freedom to gradually build my ideas and change things as I go along. I have also develop the use of ceramic enamel colours that I can use both in the glass itself and on the mould surface to create effects that mirror those in my drawings.
David Reekie is an artist, living and working in Norfolk in the UK. His work is held in many museums and major glass collections; he exhibits his work internationally and is invited to lecture and teach worldwide.
David Reekie
The White House, Ipswich Road, Dickleburgh, Diss, IP21 4NJ
Tel / Fax +44 (0) 1379740037 Email david.reekie@virgin.net www.davidreekie.com