“Artists have a unique opportunity to challenge the viewer,” reflects American artist April Surgent. This adventurous, gutsy woman is a record keeper of time; her art offers viewers a glimpse into the fragility of our ecosystems through glass, a material that holds, refracts, and reflects light. As urbanization distances us from the environments we depend on, April's cameo glass engravings call us to attention—a moment to "Stop. Look. See. Listen. Smell. Touch. Breathe. Think. Learn."
In this conversation, we explore her career through life-changing experiences, from Pilchuck Glass School to her ongoing collaboration with the NOAA Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, where she confronted marine debris and witnessed the immediate effects of climate change, to a commission for Iowa State University.
April approaches artmaking as a comment on the status quo and a mirror reflecting our world. Her contemporary approach to the ancient art of cameo glass engraving expands the medium’s boundaries, both in scale and subject. Through an inward, reflective process, she moves through mark-making, including pinhole photography, to capture the delicate interplay between light and shadow, ultimately engraving her composition onto sheets of glass.
We dive into the artmaking and the public response evoked by In Our Absence. There’s a profound mystery to her work—moody, and some might even describe it as haunting, in a way that feels undeniably truthful.
Listen as she shares her future projects: tuning into her intuition and continuing to follow her heart, undoubtedly reflecting her relationship with the planet and following the light.
Inquiries about loaning opportunities can be made through https://www.aprilsurgent.com.
Follow her on Instagram: @aprilsurgent.
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