Making things asymmetric

I learnt this month that master glassblowers find it very hard to make wonky pieces. Will tells me that after years and years of being conditioned to keep pieces on centre, the Quantox exhibition for Somerset Art Weeks created an unlikely problem. Having been made to think outside his usual glass ranges, Will has been creating works that reflect the gnarly nature of tree roots, bracken and undergrowth and has been making pieces that are by their very nature, asymmetric. And this has proved challenging! Unlearning something, it seems, is even harder than learning it in the first place. Personally I’d have handed over to Johnny, who’s got quite the reputation for keeping things “off-centre”, but obviously that wasn’t in Will’s masterplan this time around. Admitting that this exhibition made him nervous – Will said that he’s been really pushed out of his comfort zone, but the good news is that the asymmetric pieces he’s created are pretty brilliant. One reason for him grasping this asymmetric technique could be due to him busting his leg in what he claims was an attack involving Johnny pushing him down some steps. After some thorough investigation it seems several pints of cider was involved and Johnny had no hand in the falling down stairs part of the story. Back to the Quantox range though - the gallery has lots of lovely things in it at the moment, and it’s at times like these (think general worldwide catastrophe) that these stunning pieces can really make us feel better. Good design and practical function is something that Will prides himself on, and he’s come out on top with this exhibition. I think initially he’d forgotten the struggles that come with making new ranges, but by forging through, working flipping hard, and having Johnny as his assistant magnifique, he’s got something to be really proud of. I should also mention that Johnny is currently deaf as a post, which has created its own challenges – Will even made signs that say “punty” and “door”, so he can wave them rather than shouting orders. Somehow, despite all the setbacks, physical ailments and general gloom of the nation, the pair of them have pulled it out of the bag. They’ve had plenty of friends and regulars stopping by to say hi and check out the new work, and it’s been really encouraging for both of them to hear and see how well received the exhibition has been. Next stop, as mentioned previously, is the Bath Christmas Market. Let’s see how many injuries they can pick up between them before that one comes around! You can shop Quantox pieces in the gallery and other works by fellow contributors ashar and Jenny Graham, over on the dedicated webpage at https://shakspeareglass.co.uk/collections/quantock-byways-them-there-hills-somerset-arts-weeks-2022-exhibition