The Shield Series

As a boy, I had been fascinated by tales of knights in armor, and the Legend of Arthur. In later travels I came to find that armor played a part in many cultures, both in fact and legend. One of my early attempts at manipulating thick bronze glass felt very "shield like", and I was struck by the similarities. Appearing strong, it could be shattered in an instant, much like advances in warfare made each new development in armor obsolete.

This led me to this series of ceremonial shields, influenced by cultures from around the world. The steel acts as counterpoint to the glass – both forged in intense heat – one fragile, the other strong. The treatment of the glass and steel is different from piece to piece, as if each culture, in a different place and a different time, has developed their unique style.

I was asked once if this series was about war. It is, in fact, about peace, as each of these cultures appear secure enough in their place to make their ceremonial armor out of glass, not steel.

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