Mind Full of Glass in Lybster
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THURSO glass artist Ian Pearson currently has his first solo show featuring 45 sculptures at North Lands Creative in Lybster.
The free exhibition – called Mind Full of Glass – will run until May 10.
Ian's training as a scientific glassblower taught him "the importance of fine craftsmanship" which he strives to include within his creative pieces.
With fewer than 50 scientific glassblowers employed in the UK, having an average age range close to retirement, it is considered an endangered profession by many. There are no longer any schools or colleges in the UK teaching scientific glassblowing so the future of the profession is "entirely dependent on in-house training", Ian says.
Born in Surrey, Ian started his career as a scientific glassblower in 1970 and, following positions in Manchester and Hertfordshire, he concluded his career at Dounreay.
Of his many prizes and accolades he cites the Scottish Glass Society's Oddball of the Year Award in 1993 as "extra-special".
He said: "The works in my Lybster show reflect my quirky take on the world. Mind Full of Glass represents many of my ideas which fill my head on a daily basis.
"Some are simple to understand and some even I don’t understand. For me that’s part, if not all, of the fun."
The piece he said he enjoyed making the most was a hollow figure with feet pointing in different directions, a small head and instead of a heart there is a £ symbol sealed in place.
"I call it Friggers and Politics – A Meeting of Minds. The term 'frigger' relates to novelty glassware made by glassblowers in between productive times and serves no real function."
Another of his favourite pieces that he urges the public to watch out for is a windmill with turbine blades also containing the British monetary symbol.
One sculpture that attracted great admiration during the preview, Against the Flow, comprises a group of dolphins with one of the creatures positioned swimming in the opposite direction to the others. "That is a statement of how I see myself, basically."
Ian has written many articles on flame working glass and travelled extensively in the UK as well as USA and Europe demonstrating his style of work. He will be travelling to Corning in the USA this June to demonstrate glass-working techniques and continues to lead specialised workshops at North Lands.
All work is for sale and Ian was delighted that several sculptures were sold at the opening of the exhibition.
The exhibition at the North Lands Creative gallery is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 5.30pm. Further information can be found at www.glasscreationsthurso.co.uk.
