glass apples

glass apples, Alec Finlay, 2010

Commissioned by the National Glass Centre, Sunderland, 2010

photographs by Colin Davison.

This is one of the projects I have worked on with the curator Grainne

Sweeney. The apple colours are based on 50 native British varieties

colour specified in collaboration with Jack Lowe, working from the

archives of the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale. 

The glass apples were made in collaboration with glass-blowers

who had been employed at the former Hartley Wood glass factory

in Sunderland.

A unique glass apple, and one of 50 native apple varieties, was

gifted to 50 families, resident on a new housing estate, built near

the factory. 

I also sited a wooden barrel filled with glass apples on a communal

grassed area, in the middle of the estate.

A limited edition of 10 glass apples is available from National

Glass Centre and Ingleby Gallery.