American born Danny Lane has been working in London since the 1980s and is one of the most commissioned artists working in glass today. He has established an international reputation for his extraordinary sculpture and furniture, which challenge the boundaries of Art and Design.
Danny first came to public attention in the 1980s for his pioneering broken glass furniture. His Stacking Chair (1986) is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. In the early 1990s his focus shifted to making large scale, steel and glass sculptures for public and corporate spaces.
Renowned for pioneering the use of solid volume glass in sculpture, he has developed construction techniques which rely on the strength of glass under compression. He exploits the refractive nature of the material while freely manipulating its form. This synthesis of engineering, direct knowledge of materials and his intuitive creative processes are the poetic cornerstones of Danny Lane's art.
He studied as a painter and continues to place great emphasis on drawing as a means to generate ideas. His practice remains firmly rooted within his own studio and workshops so he can maintain a 'hands on' approach throughout each stage of the production. To accommodate his need for control and spontaneity, he retains a core team of skilled technicians who are integral to the realisation of his sculptures.
Over the last decade Danny has expanded the studio's capacity. The installation of glass furnaces and huge kilns have enabled him to produce and pour works of brilliant colour and to cast reliefs in optical crystal.
As well as the monumental works in industrial float glass for which Danny is perhaps best known, rare timbers and forged steel play a growing role in his repertoire. He has expanded his team to include several virtuoso craftsmen and is now focusing increasingly on autonomous works to be exhibited in gallery and museum contexts.
More recently, his commissioned work has shifted from corporate to individual clients. Working through an intimate dialogue with private clients, he has produced a series of extraordinary works, which marry their individual interests and requirements with his bold and unique vision.
Notable public sculpture commissions include Aether (British Land, Marble Arch House, London); 2 of One (Microsoft Research HQ, Cambridge); Threshold (Mint Museum, NC, USA); Colour Eclipse (British Land, Broadgate Tower, London); Assembly Field (National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff); Borealis, a 32 metre long, 8 metre high undulating glass sculpture (General Motors for the GM Renaissance Centre, Detroit); Parting of the Waves (Canary Whart, London) and Balustrade commissioned by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Danny Lane's work is in museums, private and corporate collections world-wide.
© Danny Lane