Glacier Rocks

Hand-blown glass

Developed through observation, memory and imagination, Glacier Rocks explores the relationship between water, geological time and material history. Living near glaciers and the changing Bow River, I became increasingly aware of conversations surrounding glacial retreat, climate change and the transformation of familiar landscapes. I was interested in water as an agent of change, connecting landscapes and shaping the materials it encounters.

I began imagining water-worn rocks as objects that carried traces of their formation. What might a rock share with us about the water that had passed over it? What histories might be suggested through its surface, shape and texture, even when the processes that formed it remain beyond direct observation?

Using hand-blown glass, I created forms inspired by the rounded shapes of water-worn stones. Their colours, translucency and internal patterns evoke the movement of water, while their solid forms suggest the enduring presence of geological matter. I imagined each as something that might be picked up and examined, much like a conch shell, inviting an encounter with a history that can only be partially imagined.

The work brings together questions about perception, material experience and deep time, considering how we might learn to read the traces of processes that extend beyond human observation.

Collections: Alberta Foundation for the Arts; The Collection of Sir Elton John

https://alberta.emuseum.com/people/7429/ciara-jayne-hossack/objects