14 May – 10 July 2011 at World of Glass, St Helens. ‘Trial and Retrieval’ by Robert Williams.
Turning rubbish into art
Some people may claim modern art is rubbish. But Robert Williams specialises in transforming rubbish into art.
His latest project features pieces of weathered or broken glass gathered together from all over the world. And you can see the results in Trial and Retrieval, the current exhibition at The World of Glass which he shares with four other contemporary UK artists.
Much of the material Robert currently works with was unearthed in an old Victorian rubbish tip in a Lancashire park.
Robert, who works in partnership with his twelve-year-old son Jack Aylward-Williams, also relies on material sent from friends and experts in archaeology from all over the world.
And on a recent holiday the father and son team also gathered material from an ancient sunken city in Crete.
Glass fragments play a key role in their work and a long-term aim is to establish a collection of such material conceived specially for St Helens.
“I was brought up nearby in Wigan so I know the local area really well,” says Robert, “and I am very aware of its importance as a vital centre for the development of glass manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution.
Other artists involved in Trial and Retrieval are Caroline Dalton, Kevin Philips and Lesli Sharples, whose amazing peepshow-style creations are one of the big talking points with visitors to The World of Glass.
The World of Glass (St. Helens) Ltd :
Chalon Way East : St Helens : Merseyside : WA10 1BX