The Art That Made Me: Heike Brachlow

The vibrant work of glass artist Heike Brachlow is in collections in Britain and overseas. Here, she reveals the artworks that have meaning for her.

Photo: Roger Lee

James Turrell, Skyspace

Framing a piece of sky is such a simple idea, yet it enables a wonderful experience. Turrell’s Skyspaces are artworks one needs to spend time in, to absorb the changes in the framed sky and the light within the space. I have visited his skyspaces in New York, Canberra and Yorkshire; they are always fantastic.

Image: Arrowhead Interior Contact © 2018 James Turrell

Anish Kapoor, When I am Pregnant 1992

This work grabbed me because of the subtle intervention to space. It is a piece that has to be experienced; a picture does not do it justice. I liked this work better before I became aware of the title; for me, it is about space, illusion and the unconventional.

Image: Photo © Anish Kapoor, 2018; Nic Tenwiggenhorn

Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslav Brychtova, Spaces I

I have always admired the Czech Republic artists Libensky and Brychtova’s glass sculptures. They have worked with colour and the optical properties of glass to create an outstanding body of work spanning many decades. Spaces I, in the collection of the Corning Museum of Glass, is one of my favourites. The subtle colour changes with contrasting light conditions, and the work appears different from every angle.

Image: Stanislav Libensky & Jaroslava Brychtova, Zelezny Brod, Czechoslovakia, 1991-1992. Gift of the Ben W. Heineman Sr. Family. The Corning Museum of Glass

Richard Whiteley, Subvert

I have always admired Richard Whiteley’s work, and I especially like Subvert (2010). In photographs it looks grey with subtle colour fades, but when I saw it in a friend’s house (as seen in my photograph here), it took on the colours of the environment and kept changing with the light.

Image: Richard Whitely - Subvert, 2010 © 2018 BULLSEYE

Yo Akiyama, Geological Age

I met Yo Akiyama during a residency at the Kyoto City University of Arts, where he was a tutor and then saw his work in an exhibition in Kanazawa. The sheer scale combined with surface texture reminiscent of dried and cracked earth give Akiyama’s work a monumental presence.

Image: Yo Akiyama Geologic Age 17, 2014 Ceramic © Yo Akiyama

Heike Brachlow’s work in Art of Glass, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh (until 16 Sept; nms.ac.uk); heikebrachlow.com