Glass House for Enchanted Parks 2012 at Saltwell Towers

Glass House - Red Angels, originally uploaded by Ross Ashton.
Projection Ross Ashton
Sound Karen Monid
Created for Enchanted Parks 2012, 'Glass House' is a celebration of the works of William Wailes. The entire visual element was made by reworking photographs of his original stained glass to fit the architecture.Saltwell Towers, the home of the renowned Victorian stained glass artist William Wailes, began construction in 1854. That same year, the industrial heart of Gateshead was destroyed in the Great Fire. The fire and subsequent devastating explosion, triggered by chemical reaction, opened the way for the rebirth of Gateshead. This rebirth is echoed in the destructive fires of the glass furnace creating the pure colours of stained glass.‘Glass House’ celebrates Wailes’ work, juxtaposing the chemical reactions involved in Victorian stained glass making against the Great Fire of 1854, the rebuilding of the city with the revival of the Gothic style of his work. It utilises images of Wailes’ windows, including his tributes to his own children, with glass sounds and spoken texts taken from diverse sources such as accounts of the 1854 fire and the enthusiastic reception of Wailes’ work at the 1851 Great Exhibition in Crystal Palace.

Thanks to:The original photography of the stained glass was by Shaun Thubron.St. Nicholas' Cathedral, Newcastle and numerous other churches of the North East for granting us access to photograph Wailes' works in situ.The Saltwell Park Volunteers Group for donating their time and vocal talents.The award-winning Enchanted Parks is an innovative after-dark arts experience which transforms Gateshead’s Saltwell Park into a magical night-time winter wonderland. Visitors can explore the park through atmospheric themed installations, light, sound and performance in this event for the whole family.Enchanted Parks is organised by NGI and Magnetic Events.

See Karen Monids blog entry here.
NGI Interview with the artists - Blog entry here