Artist Colin Reid makes dramatic kiln-cast glass sculptures, incorporating impressions of found objects and forms from nature. In this short film by the V&A, follow Colin as he sails to remote shorelines in the Scottish Highlands, where he uses silicone putty to take a moulded impression of the rocky landscape, capturing the natural fissures and textures of volcanic rock, without leaving a trace.
Back in his studio, Colin transforms the impression, building it up and sculpting a model in wax and polystyrene, from which he takes a negative mould made of plaster and silica. In the kiln, the glass is cast into this mould – a process of mould melting which goes back 4000 years. Colin finishes the sculpture using hand-held cutting and carving tools, as well as machinery for milling, grinding and polishing, creating a mirror-like finish which reflects the moulded surfaces.
