Book

Gus Skottowe

2021 National Sculpture Prize | Winner

Rituals of the Technium

On a fundamental level the handcrafted lead and glass facade takes the form of a scaled up RGB (Red, Green, Blue) pixel array; the inherent structure found in every digital screen across our technological ecology. This pixel structure accumulates to form a pixelated circular window in ode of the rose window; the stained glass center piece commonly found in gothic cathedrals.

The piece invites you to bask in the light of an evolving portrait of our collective digital consciousness. It hopes to help contemplate how a lower visual resolution can maybe offer a higher perceptual resolution upon our new age digital existences.

A window

Into the digital age

The fundamental life blood making up these digital realities is digital data; a new age material; collected, processed and distributed via the internet and all it’s nodes; a network at a mere embryonic stage; destined for the eventuality of becoming an all knowing, all present and all powerful entity or in-effect the reincarnated concept of God?

The digital stained glass window uses the spiritually loaded associations we have of stained glass acting as a window to God and draws the parallels it has with our contemporary use of the screen as a portal to ‘big data’

It consists of 5320 individually hand-cut, traditionally lead soldered pieces of stained glass, with an equal number of milled recess cavities that house the LED lights. This is all programmed by the artist via algorithms, currently tessellating recently trending online image data. This feat of engineering was executed by none other than the artist himself, Skottowes strength of concept and exceptional craftsmanship earned him this year’s ‘Judges Choice’ title along with £15,000 prize funding.

Gus Skottowe, Rituals of the Technium, National Sculpture Prize winner, Broomhill Hotel

Judges choice of 2021

One to watch

Gus received a £10,000 cash prize to support him in his practice as an artist, he is already back in the workshop developing a number of concepts which have yet to come to fruition. He has also been awarded £5,000 in commission to create a new work to be displayed at Broomhill which will be available for sale, with the proceeds being split between the artist and funding for future NSP competitions.