INJECTING SOME ENTHUSIASM

On looking back over some of my old photogarphs of the glassware that I have made I was struck by the amount of simpler ideas. Of these recurring art were various different syringes. Some were made just for show and at least a couple could be used. Early in my career I work for a company making thousands of glass syringes. I suppose that early introduction to this vital piece of medical equipment influenced my work without me realsing it.

Making glass syringes does involve some high tech. Its not all “suck and see” processing and hoping for the best outcome without some hard work. The barrel of a glass syringe is usually made for precision bore tubing. The plunger or pistion part is precision ground. Some designs use a PTFE “O” ring but the ones I have been involved with are all glass.

One political piece of glass art that I enjoyed making (must make another version) used a synrings fused to a glass arm which was made from tubing. Inside the arm was a penny coin sealed tightly and on the outside I had painted glass lustre on as if it remebled a vein. The idea was that money is draining out of the NHS as they let even the humble penny through their fingers and cant hold on to anything.

Another kind of policitcal statement meade through my art although I didn’t regard it as too serious at the time. I made a figure with a syringe on one arm. The syringe had a radioactive sticker on. The person (male, female or just plain “them”) didn’t have a head but a represneation of the Dounreay Fast Reator. It was the classice nuclear domw. I work ed at Dounreay for many years and came into contact with a scientist who wanted to prove how safe radioactivity and nuclear power was. He arranged to be injected with some kinf od radio active liquid and survived for several years after this act of defvience. He came into my studio and saw the sculpture which of course was based on him. On seeing it, he stormed out the studio saying eh would never grace my place agin as he felt I was being disrespectful to his actions and taking the micky. Truth was told I admired him and felt the sculpture was a kind of homage to him. I really must make another.

Of course I couldn’t resist making a syringe in honour of COVID! Not sure if that’s the right word to use in referencing the pandemic but then we live in strnage times and people tell me Im strange. I enjoyed making the classic COVID design and thought by adding a syring it add excitement. I fused the glass syringe shape to the glass as if it was a missile attacking the sphere shape of the COVID virus. For some reaslim then I painted part of the glass to resemble blood. I really must make another!

The thing about syringes is they have to have a sharp pointy bit. This is the bit that goes in the skin and is the prickly bit. It is also the trickest bit when making an all glass syringe. Most of course have fine metal needles but when it comes to glass then the finer it is the more fragile it becomes. I have played a few games with the shape of these needle sections of syringes and love tying knots in the glass. I don’t really want to make another one though.