Power Deviation
Hot glass, transfer print and copper inclusions, blown by James Maskrey 2006
This piece suggests the structure of the eye as it may be seen by a surgeon, looking through the window of the iris to the rich patterns of the retinal tissue beyond.

It was built in a series of stages or 'gathers'. A simple 'embryo' of clear glass was blown and allowed to cool. An 'iris' made from etched copper foil was attached using copper wire tied in a pattern to reflect the network of veins from scans of my own retina. This was heated, dipped into hot glass, blown and allowed to cool again. In the final stage, the sides of the piece were ground and sandblasted to create a soft layer of tiny bubbles, while a hand made ceramic transfer print of the topography of my cornea, the outermost layer of the eye, was applied to the top surface. This topographic map is called 'power deviation' as it defines the angle at which light is deflected as it travels into the eye.

The piece was heated again and dipped into clear glass. Powered white glass was sprinkled around the sides of the piece before adding a final 'gather' or layer of hot glass and shaping the final form the final form