FIRST GLASS
’Bob Crooks is one of Britains most highly recognised leading glassmakers". Renowned for the high quality, skilfully executed, dynamic forms and surfaces, he has been producing over the last fifteen years. He is continuously thinking of original and challenging ideas, and has been exhibited at International level and in noted exhibitions in Italy, China, Scandinavia, Australia and the US, alongside many exhibitions at home in the UK.
Each piece is designed, handmade and finished by Bob. No moulds are used to create the forms or surfaces achieved.
The pieces are inspired by Geometry, Architecture, the natural and man-made worlds we live in, as well as using the qualities and capabilities of the glass itself. Throughout this variety of work, Bob exploits the many properties of the material, through refraction or reflection, sharpness or softness, transparency or opacity, working with it’s fluidity and ’freezing’ it as the desired form is realised.
Because of the nature of the making process no two pieces will ever be identical, even when making similar bottles or vases. Each piece is effectively unique and original.
His one-off pieces have escalated in size over the years, creating a more dramatic statement. Although large scale, closer inspection reveals intricacies which demand closer inspection. The resultant objects demonstrate a masterly love of the material with attention to fine detail.’
Born in 1965, London Bob Crooks studied for his degree at West Surrey College of Art & Design. He went on to assist at glass-studios in London, later becoming Workshop Manager at ’Glassworks (London) Ltd’. In 1990 he set up his own glass studio ’First Glass’, in Gloucestershire, moving this to Clapham, London in 1994, he has now relocated ’Bob Crooks: First Glass’ to Devon.
