Through the Looking Glass, and the Lens
Duane Perrett and Garry Broeckling at the Foyer Gallery
Keith Broad
(as published in the Squamish Chief January 6 & 13, 2006)
Duane Perrett loves glass! He delights in talking about
glass, fantasizing about glass and teaching anyone wanting to learn about
glass. Since Duane Perrett works with such a fragile material, I was expecting
to meet a man of slight build and equal fragility. When this giant-of-a-man
emerged from the doorway of Snow City Glassworks in Whistler, and introduced
himself as Duane Perrett, I was amazed! But then I shook his hand and
I understood immediately. His handshake was gentle, even delicate and
not what I was expecting from such a large man. But of course, his grip
was perfect for an artist who works with glass.
Whether Duane is etching, fusing or blowing glass, his passion is reflected
in every piece he creates. “I started etching glass fifteen years
ago,” says Duane. “I’ve been fusing glass for eight
years and blowing glass for seven years.” The three-legged bowl
on display, called ‘Out of This World’, incorporates blowing
and fusing glass. “I love to use different techniques rather than
just the one,” he adds. Duane continues to seek new ways of eliciting
the natural beauty of this fascinating material. “For glass to be
elastic enough to blow, it must in the range of 2200 degrees Fahrenheit,”
he says. “With twenty layers of wet newspaper over my hand, I can
actually touch the ball of molten glass at the end of the blow-tube. And
with the slightest movement of a finger, I can change the shape of the
piece I’m making. It’s an exhilarating experience, and the
smell of burning newspaper never ceases to excite me!”
Duane Perrett’s studio is at 1005 Alpha Lake Road, Whistler. He
loves to teach and offers classes in glass fusing and etching which start
at $25, and in glass blowing which runs for four hours at $100 per student.
Preview Duane’s work at www.snowcityglassworks.com
The Blended Squamish: Photographs by Garry Broeckling
Garry Broeckling’s photographs will show you a part of our world
that few people are lucky enough to experience first-hand. Panoramic views
of spectacular mountain peaks in breathtaking high-definition print will
make you feel that you are there. “There’s a real substance
to Squamish,” says Garry. “I’ve become hooked on the
mountains!” Garry’s exceptionally detailed photographs of
local mountains, as well as being real works of art, are used by the Squamish
Emergency Program as reference guides prior to entering the area for rescue
purposes.
The ‘digital darkroom’ has replaced the traditional darkroom
in which Garry spent countless hours processing black & white sports
photographs for his high-school. “I no longer walk around with yellow
hands,” he grins.
Garry’s choice of subjects is as varied as the equipment he uses
to capture them. Event coverage, photojournalism (his work often appears
in The Chief), sports photography and wildlife photography have been his
primary subjects. “I really want to get into portrait photography,”
he says. “I’ll do weddings, but only as a second photographer
looking for the ‘unusual’ shots.” Arial photography,
using a model radio-controlled helicopter, “… to get that
extra thousand feet up”, is something that has been percolating
on the back-burner of Garry’s mind for some time. “I try to
always grow as a photographer,” he says, then adds with a shy smile,
“I hope some day to be recognized for my work.”
Preview Garry’s work at www.dcs.biz
At the Squamish Public Library, Foyer Gallery, January
10 to February 7, 2006
As appeared in The Chief newspaper January 6, 2005 and the Whistler Question