Donald Robertson's passion for research, discovery and making things has been a lifelong pursuit. From his earliest memories, he always had a studio-workshop where he made "discoveries" of all sizes and shapes. There he built things for himself and his friends, toys and fanciful objects, or pursued his youthful research in mechanical, electrical or chemical projects, which often stank, exploded or flamed brilliantly!!!! This creative drive to discover continues to inspire his projects to this day. As an artist, his unique vision in glass links principles of alchemy and transformation, both material and spiritual, with a love of history and philosophy, creating sculptures which express these ideas and exploit the often mysterious qualities of glass.
"Although I can work with many media, the qualities of glass ranging from fluid, insubstantial transparency to solid brittle opaqueness, serve well to express my ideas. I view glass, man's first synthetic, as a 'chameleon material' in its ability to retain one form yet reveal another through the transmission of light. Most of my sculptures are created using ' pate de verre' and the lost wax method of casting to achieve the primary form which is later modified by cutting, grinding, polishing and sometimes by assembling with other materials. Making these pieces by the lost wax method allows me to intervene in an expressive manner at each step of the creative process."
Donald has been working in the art field since 1972 and very intensively in the glass field since 1982. His sculptural glass work has been exhibited in public and private galleries in Canada and the United States as well as in Europe and Singapore. He has been the recipient of several important grants from the "Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec" and The Canada Council for the Arts. He is a member of the Canadian glass artists group "10 North". Since 1989, he has been a member of the teaching faculty of Espace Verre in Montr?al, teaching kiln working, technology and syntheses classes.
Polyphemuscast, cut and polished pate de verre - H 23 cm, L 37 cm, W 28 cm . 2009.
Leonidaslost wax cast crystal, copper and steel - H 37 cm, L 25 cm, W 18 cm . 2009.
Carapace IIlost wax cast crystal and sea grass - H 22 cm, L 30 cm, W 19 cm . 2009.
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