The Cauldron of Morning (Gorgo’s Eye) brings together reclaimed and handmade materials in a circular, almost planetary formation. At the centre of the piece, the iris is formed from a reclaimed lampshade salvaged from a now-defunct workshop in Cumbria that once produced Heron Glass. Known for its distinctive iridescent, handmade glass, the factory closed permanently in 2006, leaving only a small number of its objects in circulation through secondary and vintage art-glass markets. Like all hand-blown glass, the lampshade was formed through human breath: a petrified exhalation, preserving as a vestigial memory the bodies, gestures and labour involved in its making. Concentric layers of wood surround the lustrous glass form, recalling an eye, a shell, a celestial body, a relic from an unknown ritual, or an instrument from a forgotten cosmology. The sculpture evokes the evil eye, an apotropaic sign whose gaze turns misfortune back upon itself, as well as the ancient Greek Gorgoneion: the severed head of Medusa, whose wild eyes and writhing serpents were understood to possess protective power. The central form returns the viewer’s gaze, existing simultaneously as eye and shield, aperture and barrier.

The work also draws upon the ancient association between the serpent, the gaze and enchantment. The word fascinate ultimately derives from the Latin fascinare, meaning to bewitch or enchant, associated with the serpent’s supposed ability to mesmerise. Ancient writers described serpents as capable of ‘fascination’ - paralysing or captivating through their fixed gaze and sinuous movement - while fascinum amulets were worn or displayed as protection against the evil eye and other malevolent forces. Over time, the literal sense of casting a spell evolved into the figurative sense of captivating or holding attention.

The sculpture therefore hovers between enchantment and threat. Its iridescent surface draws the viewer inward, while its protective imagery suggests the danger contained within attraction. The concentric structure evokes an eye widening, a body coiling, and a universe expanding around a central point.