emmy-gai-palmer’s glass and crocheted wire sculptures capture time and memory

I arrived home late last night and need some time to gather my thoughts. While I regroup, take a moment to look at these blown glass sculptures from England’s Emmy Gai Palmer. Metal inclusions in the glass draw you in and ignite your curiosity. The ‘Del Mar’ series was inspired by “translucent hues of seaweed caught up in waves and light through the sea.” Palmer, who encases layers of knitted and crocheted wire elements in the blown glass, goes on to explain that the “light projects through these pieces, creating wave like shadows.”

Large Del Mar, two layers of knitted wire encased in blown glass, 8″ x7″

“To produce the mesh inclusions I utilize hand Crochet and knitting techniques that were passed on through the women in my family from generation to generation. The textile element is integral to my work, the glass and knitted wire work together in harmony, complimenting and emphasizing each other’s qualities.”

Small Apricot Del Mar, knitted wire encased in blown glass, 3 1/2″ x3″

Layers of knitted wire encased in blown glass, detail

Del Mar on the Beach

Upright Del Mar, knitted wire encased in blown glass, 6″ x7″

“In crochet the repeated stitches and individual actions that go towards the making of the object are visible in the finished piece; I see this as symbolic of how in life small actions can build up in to something larger. I try to capture these ‘small actions’ within my glass forms. Essentially my work is about human emotion; the need to capture time and memory.” Emmy Gai Palmer