Crowning Glories - Artworks
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Desert Flower
by Stained Glass students with Joan Mowl, Start Stained Glass Artist
Media: Foilwork - Stained Glass
At first the idea of headwear made from glass seemed impossible. At first the idea of recovery from mental illness seemed impossible.
We researched and drew cacti from life and from pictures to inform our work. We researched the imagery of cacti as a symbol for mental illness.
It was feasible to build a faceted form directly onto a polystyrene head. We considered and tried to express this directly through the design.
We sampled glasses and selected iridescent dark green glass to represent the hard shiny cactus skin.
Glass, cacti and mental illness have hard, rigid and seemingly threatening qualities. Spikes were made from copper wire - we tried pins at first but these were too thin, too uniform.
Spikes would represent the ‘torture of mental health’. Aiden Shingler* used these words.
Cotton wool looked realistic, a good contrast which brought the piece to life. Cotton wool represents the well-intentioned attempts of clinicians to heal the hurt.
A clear bright orange flame glass for the cactus flower. The clear flower expresses the life force condensed within which bursts forth when the long anticipated rains fall.
A flower to symbolise the growth of the spirit. The ability to bloom when the drought breaks (when we learn to love and be loved). How long must we wait?
*Aidan Shingler is a well-known artist with schizophrenia
Frame 13 of 23
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