Artist Statement In many nonWestern cultures it is customary to perform small daily rituals to pay homage to nature ensure good harvests propitiate the weather gods pacify the ocean or give thanks to Mother Earth through music and dance In the Western world it would appear that our sense of intimacy with nature and wonder at its beauty is being submerged amid mounting anxiety about global warming and the dramatic impact of climate change We see the natural world as something separate from ourselves exploit its gifts without restraint for economic gain and by doing so turn it from an ageold friend into a hostile force We show little trace of gratitude and seem to forget that we are ourselves an intricate part of nature I can only say that for me the overwhelming emotion I felt when a mother whale with her calf swam alongside our boat and looked me long and hard in the eye was a lifechanging experience As was my sense of insignificance in the face of the savage energy of the oceans and of delight at the sight of yet another majestic sunrise over a landscape of drifting icebergs the Creator s own magnificent sculpture park How can I express my gratitude for this inexhaustible source of inspiration other than by trying to depict the awesome power and majesty of nature in my sculpture Not aiming to imitate or equal it but simply to express my sense of wonder as a human being and an artist Recently I have been working on a new body of work called The Inward Journey The sculptures put into form the process of change that one experiences by traveling When we travel to other countries and cultures not only our outer world changes but so does our inner world and the way we perceive our planet and fellow beings Even though this is a very personal process I have found that many of my experiences thoughts and dreams are shared with fellow travelers The objects pay tribute to mankind and its seamlessly never ending journey to a deeper understanding of one self and each other Seeking a harmonious and purposeful life on our planet The Inward Journey Do you know that feeling when you travel to a foreign place and you bubble with excitement to have new adventures and experiences As we travel we enlarge our vision We find ourselves in new places new environments and allow to be confronted with other people races and tribes cultures landscapes and religions We hear new languages see new animals eat different foods and witness unfamiliar habits The more we are interested and willing to open up to these new experiences the more we get influenced by them Indeed if our outer world changes so changes our inner world Our belief system shaped by our upbringing education religion philosophies and interests is being challenged by the belief systems of others Specifically in meeting our fellow human beings we can mirror ourselves and test our standards and values As we see more of our world we become more aware of ourselves in this world and the world within us Although this is a personal process we do share communal experiences with fellow travelers But imagine if we travel to the same place at the same moment together it appears we will be influenced by the same impressions and cherish the same experiences in our memory Over time our brain colors and transforms these memories and we may remember a journey different from our fellow travelers So we share the same experiences lets say traveling to Antarctica but we experience it unalike as we think and feel individually as we are uniquely conditioned In traveling to different parts of the world we dont just gather impressions we also leave them behind From our carbon footprint and our physical prints in the sand or snow to the encounters we have with others In communicating and exchanging thoughts and feelings whether superficial or profound we create impressions We share pleasure beauty delays frustration and everything else that may be part of our journey From a beautiful sunset or a glass of wine to a deep conversation that changes our perception in unexpected ways we share our differences and our similarities In this new body of work I put into form my experiences and passion for traveling this wonderful planet It is not so much about the literal image of for instance a polar landscape but how seeing it changes the perception of my own surroundings not just how I see but how I perceive Experiences often lead to insights Through these insights the individual connects with the Universal As an artist I find myself continuously inspired and excited trying to sublimate what is essential translating that into sculptures Glass enables me to express the layers that are part of experiencing the Inward Journey So it becomes part of the biggest journey Life itself Peter Bremers 2013 About Peter Bremers Dutch artist Peter Bremers was born in 1957 in Maastricht where he studied sculpture at the University of Fine Arts from 1976 to 1980 and threedimensional design at the Jan van Eyck Academie from 1986 to 1988 Searching for suitable ways of realizing his artistic ideas he at first worked with a wide range of materials including glass plastic steel and stone He became interested in glass as a sculptural medium after attending a glassblowing workship with Dutch glass artist Andries Copier 19011991 and Bernard Heesen at the van Eyck Academie From 1987 on he tried to learn as much about glassblowing as possible assisting Heesen at his studio and taking other workships In 1989 he attended a course given by Lino Tagliapietra at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam Two of Bremers designs executed by Lino at that workshop were purchased by the Municipal Museum of the city of The Hague That same year Bremers went to work with English glass artist Neil Wilken and they worked together for many years Today Bremers works with a team of assistants who carry out ideas at the furnace that the artist has acquired on extensive travels in Asia New Zealand Africa and Antarctica His Icebergs series is based on his journey to Antarctica in a deepsea sailing ship in 2001 reflecting his impressions of the glaciers and of the waves glistening in the dawn sunlight After the trip Bremers traveled to the Czech village of Pelechov near Zelezny Brod to have his designs cast after blowing the work failed to create the effect he wanted In Icebergs Bremers uses undulating wavelike shapes along with angular holes and arches to evoke a combination of ice and fire light and color He recreates in glass the openings and fissures in the glaciers together with the unfathomable depths of the ice After the cold must come the heat Bremers writes about his Canyon and Deserts series that followed the Icebergs series This work is inspired by landscapes in the four corners area of Arizona Utah New Mexico and Colorado including the slot canyons of Antelope the Sedona Red Rocks and the Grand Canyon Another recent series Transformations gives expression to personal changes as a process of spiritual growth These objects reflect movement and rhythm change in line volume direction color and shape They can be perceived as growth forms in different dynamics sometimes very calm and subtle sometimes explosive and dramatic The idea behind this series is that personal transformations are mostly subtle changes on the outside but can have a deep impact and even be life changing Bremers work is featured in the public collections of Boymans van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam The Netherlands Gemeentemuseum in The Hague The Netherlands and National Glassmuseum in Leerdam The Netherlands Glasmuseum Alter Hof Herding Cosefeld Lette Germany AON London England Museo de Arte en Vidrio MAVA Madrid Spain Glassmuseet Ebeltoft Denmark National Liberty Museum Philadelphia Seven Bridges Foundation Greenwich CT Mobile Museum of Art AL Palm Springs Art Museum CA