The Well by Danish sculptor and artist Lene Bødker presents a bottomless, cast glass form embossed with rose formations across its exterior. Referencing mythical narratives of the well as a symbol of purification and transformation, and the rose, representing perfection and enlightenment – two powerful symbols are combined within a translucent form. The Well was created through time intensive, hands-on form making, first in clay and later cire perdue – the lost wax technique, before being kiln fired to create a solid cast glass form. Conceptual references to transformation are highlighted by the chemical make-up of the cast glass, with its mineral composition providing The Well with the ability to change colour – from pink to green, depending on the light source under which it is illuminated.
The Well continues Lene Bødker’s explorations into the manifestation of the human condition and spirituality through her artistic practice. While past works touch on the human form and its connection to the natural world, The Well speaks on notions of death and re-birth through its references to mythology and alchemy. Inspired by the drawings and writings of alchemists throughout the middle ages, alongside prominent public wells seen throughout her travels in Rome – Bødker approached the creation of The Well as a symbol of rising internal waters; leaving its sculptural form without a base to emphasise our connection to the deep, infinite earth below. These same alchemists viewed the rose as a purifier for both humans and metals, a symbol of perfection and enlightenment, seen here pressed into the exterior of the final cast glass form. Bødker has further explored notions of transformation through the material composition used to create the molten glass melted into her lost wax moulds. Oxides, including uranium, provide The Well with the unique ability to change colour under alternating light sources. What appears yellow in natural light shifts to green under fluorescent light, changing again to warm pink hues under halogens. The illusionary ability of The Well to change appearance highlights Bødker’s conceptual link to the ancient alchemists that inspired its process and form.