The Valley by April Surgent

From across the room, The Valley could be mistaken for a haunting black-and-white photograph: winter trees frame an open sky, traffic lights hover near the horizon, and two birds cross overhead. Move closer and the illusion becomes astonishing. The image has been engraved into glass.

April Surgent is one of the leading contemporary practitioners of cameo engraving. In 2003, Czech master engraver Jiri Harcuba introduced her to the centuries-old technique, which Surgent has spent more than two decades pushing into distinctly contemporary territory. Her work is rooted in close observation and scientific research, particularly climate change and vulnerable ecosystems. Her fieldwork has taken her to Antarctica with the National Science Foundation and to Hawaii working alongside NOAA researchers. Her work is held by institutions including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Corning Museum of Glass.

Quiet, atmospheric, and technically extraordinary, The Valley rewards both the immediate emotional response of an image and the wonder of discovering how it was actually made.

Dimensions (in. WxHxD): 23 x 2 x 22

Learn more about the artist at www.aprilsurgent.com.

The Live Auction will take place Sep. 18 at 8pm ET. Bid live at the event, place bids online via Live Auctioneers, or submit absentee bids by contacting Heather McElwee at 412-365-2145 or heather@pittsburghglasscenter.org.