Fer et Verre

Blanche Tilden
born Australia, 1968

Verre I  2010
waterjet cut, coldworked and flameworked borosilicate glass, sterling silver
Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Funaki, Melbourne

One of Tilden’s heroes is Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–1859), a British civil engineer who is regarded as one of the most ingenious designers in engineering history. His innovative approaches to bridge, railway and ship construction fundamentally shaped the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century. The necklaces of Fer et Verre–iron and glass–evoke the precision of design and engineering of this era, using materials from the built world in combination.