Waterlog no.1 - no.4

2025

h360 x w2600 x d5mm

Kiln formed cast glass, copper tube, copper & steel wire

Waterlog occupies 2.6 meters in length, the individual glass panels present as an archive, documenting changes in water quality. The work makes reference to daily observations from residing by the Taihiki River, a tidal river estuary in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Glass is used to demonstrate how the contaminants from runoff entering the water, is then distributed by tidal currents. Here, the fragile qualities of glass parallel the vulnerable state of fresh waterways and ecosystems.

Made considering a sustainable and experimental approach when kiln forming — casting the glass into shallow pools and utilising glass from previous failed firings. Re-firing the merged glasses into compositions that resemble river beds, uneven ground, and topography.

The title of this work is borrowed from Waterlog: A Swimmers Journey Through Britain, by the late Roger Deakin.

Exhibition Through Currents | Image Melissa Palmer