Creating work that is designed to disappear may seem a strange angle to take for a public display, yet that is exactly the intention of Steve Carr’s work ‘First Light’. The work consists of three different scientifically blown glass sculptures, which Steve has created and arranged to essentially, as he says “look like nothing”.

‘First Light’ includes glass sculptures of antlers, a replica fire extinguisher and a log stack, all designed by Steve and created through the heat intensive process of scientifically blowing glass. It is through this process that Steve draws his inspiration. The objects used, such as beakers and cylinders, impose limitations which define the form for a sculpture. The log stack came to life after Steve’s discovery of a stack of glass blowing tubes, stashed in the back of a studio cupboard.

Steve appreciates the simplicity and clarity provided by scientific glass, which is heat strengthened to keep the distinct coldness and sterile properties of the glass. Steve has a passion for using materials in their raw form without altering or adding additional processes. This is in keeping with his desire to place his work in the same way that would you would expect to find it in its natural environment. 

Born in New Zealand, Steve Carr completed his Masters at Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland in 2003. Today he is an internationally acclaimed artist, and his work has been included in numerous national and international exhibitions. In 2010 he was the recipient of the Sapporo Artist in Residence in Japan.

The act of coming and going

The full glass frontage of Stanbeth House was what drew Steve to Britomart Project Space, with the large window area allowing for a real discovery of the work over time.

“I like the idea that the same people are going to walk past the site a lot and notice another aspect of the work each time”, says Steve. An area in the middle of the space is purposely left empty, with the sculptures positioned so that the sculptures are only fleetingly glimpsed depending on the direction of the passerby.

It is Steve’s commitment to providing a viewer with a sense of reward, that they have seen something that perhaps others are missing, that draws him to working with glass.“I quite like the idea of people not seeing it, so that when it is noticed it’s a nice surprise”.  

The brick wall in Britomart Project Space, Steve says has “a warm and beautiful cottage feel, which alludes to the idea of a hand built wall in which a hunter would place a real set of antlers”. The natural light creates interesting shadow effects through each glass sculpture, making the pieces each appear different at various times of the day.

While ‘First Light’ may be purposely created to disappear, this is a work that deserves a closer look.

‘First Light’ by Steve Carr
Britomart Project Space
28 Customs Street East, Britomart

Works courtesy of Michael Lett, Auckland

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