TEXT: Golrokh Broumandi
“No surprise that it has stories to tell from the past to the present.”
Glasgow based artist and designer, “James Rigler” graduated with a degree in 3D crafts from the University of Brighton, followed by a MA in ceramics and glass from the Royal College of Art in 2007. He is known for his modern sculptures, mainly inspired by ornaments found in ruined and abandoned ancient places, romantic landscapes, and stage sets.
James’ recent sculptures, which have been showcased in famous galleries and design fairs in the UK, are covered in gold colour. They are created by press-moulding, earthen-ware ceramic, overlaid with metal leaf surface and shellac, and finally distressed to reveal the making marks in the clay beneath. Rigler, whose works have been displayed in the public collection of the V&A Museum, describes his work as “…theatrical, yet familiar,” and he, “hopes to explore the strange space between the ordinary and the extraordinary.”
One of his latest pieces, “Proposal for a Bench, 2019,” is presented in “Decorex International,” one of the UK’s leading design shows. The golden bench made of ceramic, and covered with metal leaf and cherry wood, showcases the simplistic, while splendid, aesthetics of its designer. It is not so hard to imagine the bench inside of a Victorian country pile house or outside, accompanied by an English traditional rose garden, and it is no surprise that it has stories to tell from the past to the present.
