In 2023, Nicholas Burridge undertook a residency at Canberra Glassworks to develop and explore naturally formed glass, where heat and pressure was applied to basalt, to form obsidian. The result is this showcase of rock-glass hybrid works inspired by terraforming or “Earth-shaping.” This vast transformational process aims to modify the atmosphere, temperature, surface topography, or ecology of a planet or moon to make it suitable for life. Burridge has developed a conceptual framework around these ideas, considering the scale of existence from human impact to industrialisation to universal forces.
Nicholas Burridge, Igneous/Anthropic, 2022, basalt, volcanic glass. Courtesy the artist and Canberra Glassworks, Australian Capital Territory
Canberra Glassworks
20 January to 25 February 2024
Australian Capital Territory
