Denise Pepper
My interests have always centred on the visual stimuli that we encounter in our daily lives. Currently I am experimenting with the use of glass outside of its traditional craft context, expanding its possibilities in contemporary art. A recent series of my work 'Control Briefs' is a series of sculptured women's underwear made in glass; each piece unique, with the mould taken directly from original garments. Glass is a challenging material and each of these sculptures has been created using a glass technique known as pate de verre or paste of glass in which powdered glass is applied as paint to moulds and fired in the kiln. The sculptures are sometimes sexy, sometimes unattractive, bringing their secrets into a public space, touching on notions of voyeurism and alluding to a vestige of femininity that was more restrictive than today's. The work contests ideas behind the beauty myth in which we see both men and women endlessly pursuing the unattainable dream of physical perfection. By creating underwear in the seemingly inappropriate medium of glass, I intend to capture the restrictive and often uncomfortable positions we place ourselves in for fashion. The sculptures are cast directly from original undergarments that I find intriguing, and perhaps once worn for a special occasion, which when reproduced in glass retain the delicate lace patterns and shape of the wearer. The processes used in order to create such technically challenging, visually rich and delicate works are intensive. An article about Denise pepper's glass work and her collaboration with sculptor Pierre Capponi for their 2010 exhibition 'Walls Talk' can be accessed by clicking on the pdf. file 'manual' below.
 Curriculum VitaeExhibitions
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Manual