Glen Colechin’s art can be found across the world in Europe, South Korea, Singapore and the USA. However, Glen is most at home in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. He moved to New Zealand in 2009 from his hometown of Wakefield, West Yorkshire England. Following a career change, Glen pursued his art career full time. Now, he looks back on his career to date, his creative process and his current exhibition, Sculpture in the Gardens at Auckland Botanic Gardens.
To create the heron sculptures, Glen utilised a variety of stainless steel materials sourced from Steel & Tube. The legs of the heron were created from 20mm stainless steel while the bird’s frame was created using 12mm steel round rod. The feathers which hang from the heron’s frame are made from flat bar which holds a kinetic quality as the feathers move in the wind. Steel & Tube is pleased to support Glen’s work through supplying a range of robust materials for transformation into unique works of art.
Reflecting on his relationship with Steel & Tube, Glen says: “I keep finding different Steel & Tube products which I can utilise in my work”.
Tell me about your career to date
When I moved to New Zealand, I was originally interested in ceramics before I moved into wood working, specifically carving. My background is in engineering so I had experience working with copper. This sparked my interest in sculpture as I was intrigued by how this material could be used to recreate aspects of the natural world, such as animals, in a sculptural form.
My move into art becoming primary focus occurred when I was made redundant a couple of years ago. I decided it was the time to push myself to really make a go of my art career. This started with learning how to weld. I bought Steel & Tube’s reinforcing material to practice with which was great. I was commissioned to produce a variety of sculptures so there were a number of learnings along the way.
My most recent large-scale works are the white and blue heron sculptures found at the Auckland Botanic Gardens. I created both sculptures with a variety of metals sourced from Steel & Tube. Metal has such a unique quality in that it’s robust but also mailable. So, this allows me to create a variety of sculptures and achieve the sense of movement which engages the observer.
When did you first develop an interest in art?
My Dad is a water colour artist. So, I used to see him drawing and painting when I was growing up. I remember experimenting with the air drying of clay. One of my first pieces of work was a frog sitting on a pebble. This spurred me on, and I started creating some ceramic pieces. Over time, I experimented with a variety of different materials to understand how different materials can be manipulated.
You are exhibiting at the Auckland Botanic Gardens’ Sculpture in the Gardens show, tell me about that
I’ve made something I love. It’s great as I can say this with everything I have made to date. During this process, I recreated the heron’s head three times. It was important to me that this art captured the essence of the animal.
A unique aspect of this project is that it’s an architectural piece. As the blue heron piece has been installed in one of the ponds in the Gardens, it was checked by engineers. The experience of the piece being signed off as structurally sound has given me a lot more confidence. I would love to create other pieces for the public arena in the future.
Tell me about your creative process and inspiration
Nature is certainly my greatest inspiration. As a kid, my Dad took me hunting and fishing. I developed a real fascination with how animals move within their environments. I look to capture this sense of movement in my art. When I am working to create a sculpture, I have an inherent awareness of the shape of the animal and the features which need to be highlighted.
Another aspect I consider is the lines of the animal as this is critical to ensuring the piece blends with its environment. I enjoy manipulating the metal materials I work with to create the sense of movement we see in nature every day.
A feature of my art is the selective absence of material. So, the spaces left within the design allow the viewer to recognise and complete the shape as they view it. This gives the work a greater interactive quality while also ensuring that it blends with nature, rather than imposing on its environment.
Photography: Simon Cartwright of Simon Cartwright Photography
Videography: Cheyenne Blackburn of Prevue
To explore Glen’s website, click here
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