Beaufort in Glass, 2021, Suraya Sidhu Singh
Beaufort in Glass (2021)
13 etched glass panels edged in leadlight on galvanised wire rope cable
4500mm x 500mm
$5,900
Those who work at sea use the Beaufort Scale daily as an aid to safety. The scale puts observable effects of wind on the sea into numbers 0 to 12, so mariners can communicate conditions quickly and clearly. Using the distinctive shape of maritime signal flags, Beaufort in Glass makes Beaufort’s weather descriptions into a kind of poem with continually raising stakes. Its glass surface suggests a delicately balanced, fragile climate and reminds of the lives that rely upon it.
00 SEA LIKE A MIRROR
01 RIPPLES LIKE SCALES
02 GLASSY CRESTS NOT BREAKING
03 SCATTERED WHITE HORSES
04 FREQUENT WHITE HORSES
05 MANY WHITE HORSES
06 LARGE WAVES FORM
07 FOAM STREAKS ALONG THE WIND
08 EDGES OF CRESTS BREAK
09 SEA ROLLING
10 SEA WHITE
11 WAVES HIDE SMALL SHIPS
12 AIR FILLED WITH DRIVING SPRAY
First shown in Koru on Devon Gallery, Ngāmotu New Plymouth, May 2021