The contrasting paths of metal and glass
- Timothy’s sculptures combine historical ornament with contemporary appeal
- He is inspired by the idea of creating a modern day curiosity cabinet
- His practice includes sculptural metalwork inspired by jewellery making
While he initially aspired to become a jeweller, Timothy Horn soon realised that the larger physical scale of sculpture suited him better. Trained in sculpture and glass, he draws on a strong technical background to create works that combine glass and cast bronze. Timothy has also experimented with materials such as transparent rubber, sugar, paper and cardboard, and allows his vision to dictate the medium and the process he will follow. His opulent visual aesthetic reflects diverse references, from baroque jewellery and historical decorative arts to scientific studies of natural forms. “Through these contrasting influences, I want to convey a sense of simultaneous growth and decomposition, and explore the tensions between opposing qualities,” he says.
INTERVIEW
In 1994, I travelled to Europe for the first time. I spent a few days in Venice and visited the glassworks on the island of Murano. It was the first time I had seen a glass workshop in action. It felt magical. When I returned to Australia, the experience inspired me to return to art school and study at the Glass Workshop in Canberra.
Historical art and decorative arts have always been a source of inspiration for me. A lot of the work I have made takes historical imagery and reassigns and recontextualises it, investing it with a new meaning. I am intrigued by the idea of using the visual language of the past to create resonance with the present.
It begins with drawing with a pen on paper, followed by collaging ideas and drafting a 2D pattern. I then model the forms in plasticine based on these patterns and create rubber moulds. From there, a wax positive is produced, which is refractory moulded and cast in bronze. The bronze elements are then finished and assembled before glass elements are created and added.
My Supernatural series aims to create forms that exist outside the laws of physics and beyond the realm of nature. Inspired by 17th century baroque jewellery and 19th century scientific studies, they explore the tensions between the organic and the artificial, the minuscule and the monumental, and the masculine and the feminine.
