Christina Bothwell

A artist who has particularly influenced me is Christina Bothwell. Her sculptural work is mythical and enchanting whilst questioning ideas of death and rebirth. This is very appealing but made more powerful by her inspiring use and command of materials to combine various materials such as clay and wood with glass which creates powerful contrasts between the dense solid materials to the transparent glass as it is illuminated by light. 

I find this particularly interesting in relation to my work to experiment with using tone and sections of colored objects into my sculptural experiments to add greater depth and power to the work as show with Bothwell's work, the dense materials offer a greater emphasis on the translucent making them seem even more weightless and ghost like. 

"In my work I am drawn to the processes of birth, death, and renewal. What lies below the surface fascinates me and I try to capture the qualities of the "unseen" that express the sense of wonder that I feel in my daily existence. I am attracted to glass because it can do everything that other sculptural media can; in addition, it offers an inner space and transmits light. 

My subject matter includes babies, animals, and children as they embody the essence of vulnerability that is the underlying theme in my work. Currently I am exploring metamorphosis as a topic, and have been incorporating figures within figures in my pieces. Within each glass figure there is a smaller figure seen through the surface of the glass. 

I think of these pieces as souls, each being pregnant with their own potential, giving birth to new, improved versions of themselves."- Christina Bothwell personal statement.