Blown and engraved glass installation with yellow, orange and green interiors.
Aloe Verre (detail), 2013. Image: Shannon Tofts
Blown glass installation in desert setting within a glasshouse
Aloe Verre, 2013.

Aloe Verre

Artist

The pieces 'Day of the Triffids' (2004) and 'Aloe Verre' (2013) were installed within the glass houses of the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh in August 2013 as part of the exhibition 'Grow!'.

‘Aloe Verre’ was designed specifically for installation in the RBGE and reflects a number of aspects of the glass houses. The construction of an inner and outer section reflects the housing of plants within glass, with a coloured ‘shoot’ inside each glass housing, both enhanced and protected by this. The form of the pieces echoes the spikey succulents and cacti within the Arid Lands house, as well as the shoots of newly growing plants throughout the gardens.

Each piece has been engraved with linear geometric patterns, taken from observation of the architecture of the glass houses. This echoes the interaction between the forms of the plants and their architectural surroundings. It also introduces ‘reflections’ of the roof and walls of the buildings amongst the plants, creating interesting interplays between the organic and architectural forms and patterns.