- Jessica Murtagh
- Digital Dream, Surreal Subways, 2025
- blown glass, sandblasted and engraved
- 19.7 x 9.8 x 9.8 in (50.04 x 24.89 x 24.89 cm)
- $6,000
Inside the rattle of a subway carriage, figures drift between motion and stillness. Their gazes fall toward the glow of small screens, each absorbed into impenetrable digital dreams. Only one looks outward towards windows that open into impossible worlds, where cities crumble under giants and forests shimmer with unearthly light.
Digital dreams, surreal subways lingers in the space between waking and dreaming, the real and the imagined. It reflects on the quiet distance between people, the soft hum of technology and how easily wonder slips away when our attention turns inward. The glow of devices draws us into unreal worlds that promise connection, yet quietly pull us away from the world around us.
Process:
My work is all hand blown at a glass blowing studio called Jamfactory in Adelaide, South Australia. To create my work I use a modern take on an ancient glass technique called cameo glass. In the glass studio, we begin with a blue coloured bubble which we then gather multiple layers of clear glass over. I then sift multiple layers of opaque white glass onto the exterior of the glass which is then melted in and we blow the glass into the amphora form. What I end up with is an amphora with a thin white glass exterior. I then draw the scenes and patterns and apply these images to the surface of the glass using a vinyl substrate. I then sandblast and engrave through this thin layer of white glass to reveal the blue colour underneath and the images and patterns in white remain. I often get asked if the white images/patterns are painted on, you can assure people that it is definitely all glass.
Other Work From Erica Berkowitz
- Payment plans are welcome and tailored to each collector's preferences.
- Please direct questions and inquiries to Erica at [email protected] or (516) 807-4076 (texts/calls welcome)