Posted on 29 November 2013
Tom Vowden, currently a student on the MA in Stained Glass Conservation and Heritage Management, was part of the installation team. The window, situated in the Millbank foyer, uses only clear hand-made glass and a delicate geometric leaded design set within an elegant metal framework. Glasses of different type and structure were carefully chosen by the artist and were made especially for this commission. The effect creates the illusion of a banner of beautiful, crystal-like glass, suspended within the window, changing appearance with the play of light and the variations in the observer's viewpoint.
The window, one of the final pieces of an exceptional refurbishment of the Gallery, led by Architects Caruso St John, was unveiled to the public on 19 November. Richard Wright is well known for his site-specific artworks in architectural spaces, which have included his 47,000 hand-painted stars on two ceilings in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Photographs by kind permission of Nick Teed, York Glaziers Trust.