Through a glass brightly

Dominic Burrell likes to create the wow factor in his work. Picture / Fotopress

Before finishing his third year in glass design and production at Wanganui Universal College of Learning, Dominic Burrell was one of the few students in the school's history to be invited to have a solo show.

In 2003, Avid Gallery in Wellington saw potential in Burrell, despite the fact he was still completing his degree.

Opportunities have continued to abound. Last year, in his first try, Burrell was a finalist in the prestigious Australasian glass competition, the Ranamok Glass Prize. He was second at the New Zealand Glass Conference, as well as being a finalist in the Norsewear Awards.

When I meet Burrell he is visiting from Wanganui to set up for his first solo show in Auckland at the Masterworks Gallery.

The conversation is dominated by colour, detail, religion and the weather.

Burrell calls himself a colourist and enjoys the process of layering and juxtaposing different colours against each other.

"Colour doesn't bother me," he says. "I like to create quirky colour combinations, different from what is traditionally seen in blown glass. I want that 'wow' factor in my work."

His stacked piece is a case in point.

The one for this show is similar to the piece that qualified him for the Ranamok Glass Prize. Small, glass circles are packed on top of each other.

The work plays with colour and perspective. Each time it is spun around - please don't try this in the gallery! - an optical illusion is created, making colours and shapes appear less uniform.

"More than 60 per cent of the design process is made when the glass is cold.

"The cutting, the grinding, the sandblasting, the edging, the polishing all take place outside of the hot studio.

"A lot of people hate it; it is seen as more of a problem. But I love cold working. I've always embraced it.

"I recognise it is an important part to creating and that it is more than one-dimensional."

Since hot blowing is immediate, the process can potentially be quite random. The way different colours respond to heat, for instance, is something Burrell releases control over.

He relishes the challenges that present themselves afterwards. When it comes down to cold working, creativity mixed with a sense of urgency takes over, he says.

"Outside of the hot studio I can make decisions that will determine the outcome, rather than allowing the hot process to determine the outcome."

When our conversation turns to the weather, it is not immediately evident where Burrell is heading.

"I quite like the detailed influences of the environment and atmosphere and how quickly things can change. The process of how fluffy clouds in the morning can change to thunderstorms in the afternoon fascinates me."

Burrell equates this meteorological transformation with hot blowing.

"There are things happening inside the piece I can't see. Like a cloud - you can see that something is about to happen but you can't quite explain how."

There is no title for this show beyond "new work".

Green, turquoise, blue and white figure predominantly because Burrell believes these colours are fresh and symbolically represent the show's theme.

The exhibition consists mostly of small glass pairs, emphasising the relationship between form and colour.

"I wanted to create a fluid show that is seamless and more than just a collection of separate pieces."

Burrell's Christianity is a major influence on his work.

"My faith is my main source of inspiration, really.

"I hope to show that these works are light, fresh, sustaining and beautiful." 

Exhibition

* What: New Work by Dominic Burrell
* Where and when: Masterworks Gallery, Customs St West, to April 30