When we think of the relationship between glass and architecture most of us see it as a purely functional one, a window in a building.
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But for the nine artists featured in the Canberra Glasswork’s last exhibition of 2018, Illuminated Spaces, the connection is something more.
“Illuminated Spaces is a survey show featuring artists whose work is informed by the tradition of architectural glass art, including stained glass,” said exhibition curator Grace Blakeley-Carroll.
“When I began researching glass practices in Canberra, I was amazed to discover just how many of the region’s glass artists either had a background in stained glass or a deep fascination with it.”
The nine artists - Lisa Cahill, Scott Chaseling, Judi Elliott, Jeremy Lepisto, Ruth Oliphant, Lucy Palmer, Clare Peters, Kirstie Rea and Richard Whiteley - embrace contemporary techniques to create innovative artworks that engage with this tradition.
Ruth Oliphant, who has two pieces in the exhibition, Rise and Untitled, came to glass through architecture. Having completed most of an architecture degree, she decided to embark on an apprenticeship in traditional stained glass.
Both Kirstie Rea and Richard Whiteley also started their glass journey exploring stained glass.
Glassworks artistic director Aimee Frodsham said Canberra has always had a connection to stained glass.
“This exhibition takes inspiration from the history of stained glass, especially in the Canberra region,” she said.
“It’s the 50th birthday of the National Library of Australia and the amazing Leonard French windows there are a Canberra landmark.”
Clare Peters has worked in stained glass since her early 20s.
Her works, Place of Promise, Place of Shelter, Place of Rest and Hope Held I, II, III, IV and V, touch on the spirituality aspect of stained glass, fragile and detailed.
“My work sits on a background of the historical stained glass windows and their ability to bring a message of hope through glass and light,” she says.
“Through looking at the metaphorical meaning of ‘light’ in relation to God and the scriptures, I used steel and glass a backdrop for the illuminating text they carried - strength and fragility combining as a metaphor for God and humanity.”
Scott Chaseling has always pushed the boundaries.
His work Self portrait: past and present, combines two pieces, a neon tube trapped in a glass cloche and a stained glass blanket of sorts, draped and colourful. The blanket is actually made of silicone not glass, exploiting the viewer’s preconceived notions of object classification.
What all good art does.
Illuminated Spaces runs at the Canberra Glassworks, Kingston, until December 23, 2018.
