I approached this exhibition with a certain degree of delicious trepidation. I have always been squeamish about human body parts being exhibited in glass jars. Although Ian Mowbray’s collection of specimen jars does contain detailed life-like representations of the organs and body parts that I have so carefully avoided viewing, the body parts are made of clear glass. It was, however, at times confronting viewing.

Mowbray was born in Queanbeyan in 1955 and, although he was artist-in-residence at the ANU School of Glass Workshop in 2005, his professional career has been pursued elsewhere. As one of the early studio glass artists he established in 1989 the Moto Glass Workshop in Adelaide with his partner, glass artist Vicki Torr (1949-1992).

The exhibition at Bilk Gallery spans works from over a 30-year period. Series such as the Block and Snow Dome, the more recent Spine series and the above mentioned on-going Family Souvenirs and other dark things give an intriguing insight into Mowbray’s idiosyncratic and wry view of contemporary life.

Mowbray began his career working with flat glass as in leadlight but was drawn to the non- functional three-dimensional glass object. The idea of objects being suspended inside glass was the beginning of his subsequent three-dimensional work. He perfected the idea of the Plunge object where one of his already made glass objects was "plunged" into a molten cube of contained glass. The glass then was cooled down in the kiln leaving the object suspended in the glass like a fly in amber.

In the early Block series nos. 1-4, Mowbray experimented with the effects obtained by using various abstract forms and gold and silver leaf. The resulting forms float among delicate spider webs of glass. In the later Block series, human anatomy and bodily functions are prevalent, illustrating Mowbray’s sardonic view of human behaviour in works such as Bleeding for you.

The Window series of small snow domes (about 95 millimetres by 105 millimetres) depict in minute detail little scenes of everyday life. Mowbray’s mordant take on contemporary life is evident in these works: No-one ever stops here with its implication of the drastic fate of the absent figure of the hitchhiker and Yes this is all my baggage now with its depiction of a pile of the artist’s possessions. Only on close observation do you notice that a coffin is included.

The Family Souvenirs and other dark things series made between 2009 and 2018 originated from the artist’s unusual view of family albums. Instead of the family snapshot, Mowbray has created in clear glass, family body parts that reflect the forbidden and often hidden aspects of family life. Each of these glass objects has been beautifully crafted from lumps of crystal glass and suspended in glass jars like actual medical specimens. The generations of family are represented by a collection of foreskins and the fertility of the family line attested to by My Uncle John’s Contribution. Another jar contains a collection of family fingers (The Smiths All Worked at the Mill) cut off by factory machinery.

Some family stories remain mysterious. For example, what was found of poor Aunt Mary (All They Found of Aunty Mary) was obviously just body bits and pieces - a story perhaps best left untold. I rather liked (My Second Cousin Jack`s) a solitary ear personalised by two piercings in the lobe! And not to be outdone, Uncle Selwyn has contributed an eyeball (My Uncle Selwyn`s).

Mowbray has not shrunk from adding himself to this array of curiosities. He has been courageous enough about his own mortality, adding representations of his own medical procedures My Tumor no.3 and My Tumor no.4 and no.5 to the family ‘album’.

Mowbray’s Spine series is perhaps a summation of his creed of making works that draw the viewer into a close encounter with the work of art. The sharp edges of each sculptural glass "spine" initially repel touch but with care, the sculpture can be handled. These Spine works are perhaps a physical metaphor for the artist’s desire to tackle taboo subjects like life and death in a way that allows us to "look!"

Although the subject matter can be initially confronting, Mowbray uses his great skills as an artist to give each work a high degree of aesthetic appeal. This draws us into their orbit and the unexpected narratives that explore aspects of the human condition which some may consider too intimate or personal to be shared. These visual depictions of certain taboos are coloured by a sardonic and black sense of humour that amuses as it also shakes our complacency. An exhibition to be savoured.