The artist writes about the work – "Selene is comprised of 42 glass segments that take on the formation of an oculus window, commonly found in churches of the gothic architectural style. Rather than infiltrating light into a sacred space, Selene refracts light to its viewer. The glass segments act as apertures for the residual details of wheat and seed-like formations that lie within. Here, both the wheel and the wheat pay homage to the ever-flowing cycle of life and death. Opal glass, reminiscent of its water-stone has been used to embody Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon whose gravitational pull connects us to the tides."
Selene represents the culmination of several months of studio-practice research. Artist Joanna Manousis conducted a series of 20 tests using an opaline glass that changes its color saturation based on the length of time it is held at a developing temperature in the kiln. The castings were held from 15 minutes to 200 hours at this advancing stage, creating a varied spectrum of hues. The segments that comprise Selene were cast in 5 separate kiln firings, each differing in its developing hold duration in order to present distinct opacity shifts in the finished sculpture. Selene is definitely a one-of-a-kind piece, made from glass that is no longer available.
Joanna Manousis is currently in Sunderland, England pursuing a PhD in glass.
