Bec Brittain / Aries Rising Capricorn

Formed using colored acrylic rods, Aries Rising Capricorn takes on a more expressive and hand-drawn quality than previous collections.

Aries Rising Capricorn originated from a sketch which was inspired by one of Keith Riley’s drawings of an overflowing urn. I wanted to make lines that were personal to me, within which you can see my mark.  It naturally went to fiber optics from there, finding some combination of the glowing kids toy and Paul Cocksedge’s ‘Pole’ light. While I initially considered borosilicate tubes, I moved to acrylic rods, as it enabled everything to be more immediate and casual. I didn’t want these forms to be laboured at all, nor did I want them to be designed. I wanted to be able to decide in the moment what felt right and to let go of perfection. The acrylic rods allow me to bend, twist and play. It’s a multitude of small, local, hands-on decisions that come together as the larger composition, similar to a drawing.