CHAGFORD?S Church Gallery celebrates its first anniversary next month with internationally-renowned glass maker Bob Crooks? first solo exhibition in the South West. For four weeks from Tuesday, April 12, the entire gallery will feature stunning new work from Bob Crooks as well as favourite designs, many of which are both functional and decorative. Each glass form is designed, hand-made and finished by Bob. No moulds are used to create the pieces or surfaces achieved and no painting is involved. Bob says the pieces are inspired by geometry, architecture, the natural and man-made worlds as well as the qualities and capabilities of the glass itself. In the various works, Bob exploits the many properties of the material through reflection or retraction, transparency or opacity, working with its fluidity and ?freezing? it as the desired form is realised. Each piece is a one-off, signed and highly collectable, it is not possible to make two identical pieces. Bob has exhibited his work in Italy, China, Scandinavia, Australia and the USA, as well as alongside the V&A Collection, the Sainsbury Collection and the British Council Collection in London and the Fitzwilliam Collection in Cambridge. The Gallery is open for the exhibition Tuesday-Sunday from 10.30am to 4.30pm until May 7. For further information telephone 01647 433700.
