To celebrate its quarter century of representing and promoting contemporary glass, the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) is presenting a three-month-long exhibition entitled, ‘CGS at 25: Past, Present, the Future’ at the new Stourbridge Glass Museum.
From humble beginnings 25 years ago, CGS has developed into a thriving and proactive society supporting a membership of over 1,100 British and international contemporary glass artists.
This exhibition tells the history of both CGS and the world through glass artwork from the past 25 years. It covers a range of techniques by 25 of the UK’s greatest glass artists.
‘Follow my leader’ by glass caster David Reekie.
Artists represented in the exhibition include founding members of the CGS, such as Peter Layton of London Glassblowing, the legendary Keith Cummings who has taken kiln-formed glass to new heights, renowned casters David Reekie and Colin Reid, Alison Kinnaird MBE, Catherine Hough, Sally Fawkes and engraver Katharine Coleman MBE.
‘Mesozoic Vessel’ by Catherine Hough.
This roll call of excellence continues with the unique technical skills of Anthony Scala, Gilles Jones, Angela Jarman, Max Jacquard and Bruno Romanelli.
Glass work by Nina Casson McGarva.
The Present is represented by the glass of Cathryn Shilling, Ayako Tani, James Maskrey, Jo Mitchell, Nancy Sutcliffe, Nina Casson McGarva, Frans Wesselman, Jeff Zimmer and Keiko Mukaide.
‘Vision’ by Ayako Tani. Photo: Jo Howell.
The emerging stars include the pâte de verre of Joshua Kerley, Elliot Walker (winner of season two of Netflix’s ‘Blown Away’ tv glass competition), and Chris Day, winner of the commission sponsored by CGS and Stourbridge Museum.
In addition, CGS introduces its graduate glass prize winner for 2021, Erica Poyser, as a clarion call for the next generation of contemporary glass artists.
The exhibition demonstrates the development of contemporary glass processes and concepts and looks into the future with work from emerging contemporary glass artists. It highlights a diverse range of glassmaking processes, including blown, cast, engraved, stained, pate de verre, digitally cut and designed glass, lampworking and kiln-formed.
Susan Purser Hope, Chair of CGS, commented, “This cornucopia of glass delights reflects the dynamism and sheer talent of contemporary glass in this country which has blossomed over the last 25 years. ‘CGS at 25: Past, Present, the Future’ marks a seminal moment in the creative history of the United Kingdom and is not to be missed!”
The exhibition opens on 23 July 2022 and runs until 30 October 2022 at the Stourbridge Glass Museum, Stuart Works, High Street, Stourbridge, DY8 4FB. More information on Stourbridge Glass museum via the website: www.stourbridgeglassmuseum.org.uk
Main image: ‘Cello R1345’, cast glass by Colin Reid.
Canadian glass sculptor Cheryl Wilson-Smith was a painter and potter before discovering the possibilities of using glass in the kiln. She draws on remote environments, the passage of time and memories to build layered artworks from glass frit. Linda Banks finds out more.
What led you to start working with glass?
It began with a bit of serendipity. At the time I was painting and making pottery and I discovered an Australian ceramics magazine in our rural drug store. The magazine featured slumped glass that you could make in a ceramics kiln. Intrigued, I gave it a try and was instantly hooked.
Glass keeps me engaged because it offers a wide range of creative possibilities, from the artistic to the practical, from its opacity through all its stages of translucency. Each of these possibilities has led me to advance my technical knowledge, which is vital to achieve any desired sculptural outcome. The intriguing science behind the glass that leads to the creation of a unique work keeps me exploring and creating.
‘Seeking Warmth’ glass frit sculpture. Cheryl Wilson-Smith’s work is built from many layers of powdered glass. This one from the ‘Seeking’ series took about five days of leaning into the kiln to create it. Photo courtesy of La Guilde in Montreal.
What glass techniques have you used, and which do you prefer?
Well, my own technique is my favourite, namely the layering of glass frit through silk screens, building it up layer by layer, as if I were a manual 3D printer. I then fire the work in the kiln to create a solid sculpture. Watch a video on my approach and thinking here.
My second-favourite technique is glass casting. I like the mould making and casting, but I do not really enjoy the cold working!
I have also been fortunate enough to study 3D printing in glass, which is amazing. Plus, I have explored both pate de verre and fusing techniques.
You use a mix of different glass methods to create your art. What is your creative approach? Do you draw your ideas out or dive straight in with the materials?
My ideas take time to develop. I ponder them for a considerable length of time, which can range from weeks to years. Before I execute them, I draw them, considering all angles and dimensions. I visualise the object in my mind, seeing it as if it is rotating in space.
‘Fate’ by Cheryl Wilson-Smith.
A lot of your work is inspired by natural land formations. What message(s) do you want to convey through your art?
I am discovering that most often the parts of nature that inspire me are the things that spark curiosity or bring me calm. I hope I can share that with the viewers and, by sparking that calm or curiosity, I hope I can connect them back to nature. Through those connections I hope that the tremendous importance of our natural world will have resonance.
What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why?
Because of my technique, I do not have many traditional glass tools, but my kilns are my favourites. I have several. Through changes in time and temperature, we can do so much. They really are amazing machines.
Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?
I have several favourites, for various reasons. ‘Promises and Lies; Keeping Score’ comes to mind immediately. It was created for the 2016 Bullseye Glass Emerge competition and was my first attempt at narrative. It holds a special place in my heart. It took well over a year to develop. It is a remembrance of growing up as a child and the store where they had nails beside the cash register where they would stack the receipt after you paid, a way of keeping score for the day.
‘Promises and Lies; Keeping Score’ was created for the 2016 Bullseye Glass Emerge competition.
Pieces in my newest, ‘Seeking’, series are special because they are 17 inches tall, which is large by my standards. They are super heavy to make and very challenging, both in terms of time and technical knowledge. Each one requires about five days of me leaning into my kiln to build it. So, they are a very physical feat. They allow me to experiment with textures and to really share the glorious layers of my work.
‘Winter’s Breath’, my first piece, is another that I adore. Its white-on-black dramatic photograph really reminds me of the drama of a Canadian winter (see main feature image).
I could go on and on! You could say that I like my work, and that’s a good thing. Otherwise, why do it?!
Where do you show and sell your work?
I am fortunate to have several galleries in Canada that show my work, including Oeno Gallery in Prince Edward County, L.A. Pai Gallery in Ottawa, and La Guilde in Montreal. I also exhibit with Harrison Gallery in Key West, as well as at Gallery TEN in Edinburgh, with its amazing director, Paul Musgrove. I am always applying to take part in exhibitions, both nationally and internationally. You can also see my work on my website: www.cherylwilsonsmith.com
Do you have a career highlight?
I was thrilled to receive The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Award for glass in 2014. This is a national award for glass and was significant recognition for me.
I am also excited that my interactive installation ‘21 Pillows’ is currently touring Canada. Watching people touch and move art you have made has given me huge joy.
Viewers of ’21 Pillows’ move through a Gallery imbued with raven calls. They are encouraged to select a kiln-fired glass rock from the thousand I made and place it in a spot that they are drawn to amongst the 21 Pillows. I believe that the interaction and collective energy of all the participants will shape the development of the installation and provide everyone with the opportunity to contemplate the passage of time, the vulnerability of humanity and the natural world, and what we as a collective do if we each make only a small change.
The ’21 Pillows’ installation features many small frit sculptures.Detail of the ’21 Pillows’ installation with white rocks in the foreground. Visitors are invited to select a rock and add it to the installation in a place of their choosing.
Who or what inspires you?
Walking in the boreal forest where I live is my visual and sensory inspiration. There is so much that surrounds me. My environment is filled with endless possibilities in the ever-changing four seasons.
Many people also inspire me. I am excited by the textural painting of Lucian Freud, the art of Anslem Kiefer, as well as the environmental commentary of people like the photographer Edward Burtinky. I am fascinated by the natural art of William Morris, the leader of the Arts & Crafts Movement. There are so many kind, contemporary glass artists, artists and gallerists who have helped me. It is a truly overwhelming list. They include glass artists Koen Vanderstukken, Ione Thorkelson, Richard Parrish and so many more.
Did the coronavirus impact your practice and, if so, how did you adapt?
Well, it definitely slowed the selling of my work. I believe my work must be seen in person to really understand its subtleties.
In addition, I changed during Covid. I had to isolate several times and took over the care of my father for several months. This meant I turned inwards. For those who know me, my becoming more introverted is hard to believe. I also spent more time being close to, and spending time in, nature, which was beneficial.
The pandemic also allowed me time to expand my torch work and explore metal smithing. I am not sure where these new ventures are leading yet, but I feel like they will complement and inform my future work.
Being a part of the Contemporary Glass Society really helped me during the pandemic. Being able to see other artists and explore their work virtually on the weekly Zoom presentations was a huge benefit to someone who already lives and works in a remote place. For that, I will always be grateful.
Cheryl Wilson Smith installing the ’21 Pillows’ artwork.
About the artist Cheryl Wilson-Smith has lived all her life in Canadas’ North, working and raising her family in Red Lake. Beginning as a painter and ceramic artist, she works in glass art, exploring the passage of time and her sense of place in the vast world around us. Drawing on her isolated life, residencies around the world and other travels, she has a unique perspective. By manipulating the physical characteristics of powdered glass, she achieves forms that resemble familiar land formations.
She began exhibiting in 2007, receiving national and international attention. Her work has been in numerous exhibitions and she had a recent solo installation at galleries throughout North America and in the UK.
Like most Canadians, her inspiration is landscape – landscapes remembered across generations, those affecting us, and those we impact.
She is interested in remembrances that shape an individual’s art and design ideas. Her sculptures serve as receptacles for memory and time, while at the same time exploring the tensions as we try to walk responsibly in the world and contemplate the extent to which we all alter the landscape, for better and worse.
Main feature image: ‘Winter’s Breath’ was the first glass frit sculpture Cheryl Wilson-Smith made in 2013. Photo: Shannon Kellestine.
The 2022 International Festival of Glass promises an exciting programme of events, demonstrations, masterclasses and exhibitions this August. This year’s event will incorporate an East Asian theme, sitting alongside work by the UK’s best established and emerging glass talent.
There will be the largest offering of exhibitions, with 10 diverse shows planned.
As always, the much-anticipated British Glass Biennale will be the flagship exhibition, showcasing the best of the UK glass art scene and the full spectrum of techniques. Anonymously juried, the Biennale gives emerging artists an equal opportunity to be selected alongside the top names in British glass, making it a highlight of the glass calendar. Read about this year’s successful entrants here.
This year the Biennale will be joined by the inaugural International Bead Biennale, giving miniature works of art a place to shine.
‘Expanding Horizons’ will be shown for the first time in the UK, curating exceptional glass work from Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan.
The Contemporary Glass Society is always a key part of the Festival and this year celebrates its 25th anniversary with exhibitions at both the newly opened Stourbridge Glass Museum and Ruskin Glass Centre.
Alongside the exhibitions, there will be an inspiring schedule of lectures and discussions. Professor Clare Corkhill from Sheffield University will discuss encapsulating nuclear waste from Fukushima into glass; Lulu Harrison, who has received a Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers’ bursary for her project, will share her investigations into turning seashells into glass batch and Professor Roger Kneebone will share his insights into the similarities between artisan craftspeople’s skills and the art of the surgeon.
Festival visitors can enjoy a host of glass-themed evening entertainment. From a Hot Hanbok and Cool Glass fashion show to a glass and circus skills finale, it can all be washed down with a pint of festival ale or a soju cocktail.
The Festival showcases the skill and innovation of the glass industry and makers, historic and contemporary, local and international. Since 2004, it has been drawing visitors from all over the world.
The International Festival of Glass takes place every two years in Stourbridge, West Midlands, UK. This year’s Festival dates are from 26-29 August 2022 and the exhibitions will be in place from 26 August until 1 October.
For more information on the International Festival of Glass visit www.ifg.org.uk and for more about the British Glass Biennale visit www.glassbiennale.org .
Image: Etsuko Ichikawa is a masterclass leader and demonstrator at the 2022 International Festival of Glass.
For the last 50 years, the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass (the Glaziers’ Company) has run the Stevens Competition to find the Architectural Glass Artist of the Year.
The purpose of the award is to allow aspiring architectural glass designers and craftspeople to develop a design, have it assessed by experts in the field, and compete for a range of prizes.
One contestant may be chosen to work on the development of their design prior to its fabrication and installation.
The 2023 Stevens Competition runs in co-operation with the Mercers’ Company. The Mercers’ Company wishes to procure the design for two architectural glass panels which will provide a focal point to the reception area for a large, high quality development it is constructing in the City of London.
The competition seeks to identify and encourage new and up-and-coming talented people of all ages, who are early in their career or vocation. It is open to designers and architects who have commenced their training and vocation in glass during or after 2012.
A full range of architectural glass solutions can be offered to reflect the Mercers’ vision of the past and future expressed in figurative or abstract form.
Designs are to be submitted by 12 January 2023.
The Competition brief can be accessed in the Competitions and Awards section of the Glaziers’ Company website here.
This year’s winner of the Amanda Moriarty Prize, awarded by the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS), has been announced as Pratibha Mistry.
The annual prize is awarded in memory of Amanda Moriarty, a long-serving board member and Honorary Treasurer of the CGS who sadly passed away in 2017. The award celebrates her passion and encouragement of glass making.
The Prize enables one glass artist to fulfil a creative ambition or add to a technical skill set and enables a dream that would not be possible otherwise.
Pratibha Mistry beat off competition from 30 other applicants to win this year’s award. She recently graduated from UCA (Farnham) with an MA in Glass. For her MA she explored the reactive properties of glass for science-inspired installations. She has expertise in kiln-formed glass and coldworking.
This year, the Prize is provided by Wiltshire-based The Glass Hub, which is offering a five-day residency in the studio. The Glass Hub is an educational centre with extensive glass-working facilities and a highly qualified and experienced team of tutors to support creative development.
“I am thrilled and truly honoured to be awarded the Amanda Moriarty 2022 prize,” commented Pratibha Mistry. “The prospect of working alongside the fabulous experts at The Glass Hub will be an invaluable personal growth opportunity, but also a chance to bring to life some of my innovative ideas.”
Pratibha’s early scientific career involved studying the mechanisms of disease at a molecular and intracellular level. Revealing and probing these beautiful internal structures (mitochondria, golgi, nuclei etc) left a lasting impression on her. She is keen to create a body of work to celebrate these microscopic structures and relay the power of these organelles to transform life and contribute to human uniqueness.
“For this residency I would like to depict these incredible structures by combining both pâte de verre and hot glass approaches within one object, if it is feasible,” she explains. “What I envisage is manipulating the delicate pâte de verre structures into organic forms and then encapsulating them into some sort of organ-like orb structure.“
Being predominantly a kiln-based artist, Pratibha wants to use the skills of the Glass Hub’s directors, combining Helga Watkins-Baker’s kiln-based expertise with the ‘hot’ skills of K T Rothe to explore a new combination of techniques.
“We are very pleased that Pratibha Mistry will be joining us in the autumn to work on new directions for her glass work,” commented Helga. “We were very impressed by her proposal.”
Don’t forget to visit the second part of the Joy of Glass exhibition, being held by the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) in partnership with the Craft Centre & Design Gallery in Leeds.
A total of 25 artists are showing their work in the Joy of Glass show. The artists selected for part two, which opened on 11 June 2022, are: Effie Burns, Kate Jones/ Stephen Gillies, Steven Graham, Catherine Mahe, Caroline Moraes, Katherine Park, Verity Pulford, Karen Redmayne, David Reekie, Penny Riley-Smith, Elizabeth Sinkova, and Samantha Yates.
Steven Graham’s stained glass piece, ‘Bee – Golden weave’.
This event is open until 23 July 2022, with contemporary glass presented in the beautiful, Victorian building that houses the Craft Centre & Design Gallery, located close to Leeds city centre.
The show is part of a number of celebratory events this year, with the CGS marking its 25th anniversary and the Craft Centre & Design Gallery reaching 40 years.
David Reekie’s ‘Venus off balance II’.
Florence Hoy, Director of the Craft Centre & Design Gallery, Leeds said, “As it’s a very special anniversary for both of us this year … and it’s the International Year of Glass, we jumped at the chance of this fantastic opportunity to bring some outstanding glass to the city of Leeds, and to give it the spotlight it so rightly deserves.”
Find out more about the artists and view their work here.
Main feature image: This artwork by Gillies Jones – Stephen Gillies and Kate Jones – who have worked together since 1995, is on display in part two of the Joy of Glass exhibition.
Artist and curator, Gabrielle Argent, is the force behind the creation of The International Year of Glass Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022. Here she reviews highlights from this year’s event.
Unless you have visited the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, you may not understand the appeal. Simply, it’s an international shopfront where 168,000 affluent visitors come to discover beautiful living spaces, sculpture and gardens.
As an aspiring glass sculptor with bucket list goals, Chelsea is top of my list. Extraordinary things happen when you take a leap of faith, and my experience of this event has been 100% positive. I met the right people to collaborate with and had their support from day one.
When I put out the call for participants through the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) in February, I could not have known that life-long friends would be made. I described an ambitious plan of showcasing glass sculptures and these very brave artists stepped forward.
Thanks to Emma Butler-Cole Aiken, Ian Godfrey/Gail Boothman, Anthony McCabe, Lisa Pettibone and Layne Rowe for allowing me to curate their work.
As soon as the artists were on board, my marketing brain kicked into gear. The press releases were written, the logo was created, and the website built. Press packs were sent to the RHS well in advance. The RHS rules, regulations, health and safety and insurance requirements are onerous and challenging. It took two months to get the paperwork needed by the RHS in place, leaving little time to make glass for the event.
A comment from the show manager the day before judging made up for the anxious months of preparation, when she said the display was ‘outstanding’. That was the moment I began to enjoy the experience. An article about us in the Daily Telegraph was a bonus and the private view by the Queen and members of the Royal Family was a highlight.
A highlight was the Queen’s visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in her Platinum Jubilee year.
Emma Butler-Cole Aiken, a stained-glass artist from Selkirk, was the first to install. Her 3-metre high, ‘Sails’ is a majestic piece of art reminiscent of the stunning church windows she is known for. When the sun shone through the panes of blue and green glass, the colours had us spellbound, cameras in hand.
I met glass blower Layne Rowe through a recommendation from Peter Layton of London Glassblowing. His 3-metre high/wide ‘Solace’ angel wings have been shown at two cathedrals – Ely and St Albans – and the installation is destined to be displayed at the British Glass Biennale later this year.
‘Solace’ was a showstopper. Hundreds of visitors wanted to pose as angels, with the hashtag #TheGlassGardenDesign. Many of them purchased a limited edition signed glass feather, a poignant symbol of remembrance and hope. Ryan Harms, Layne’s business associate and maker of the bespoke metal frame, was also on hand with the installation.
Layne Rowe installing ‘Solace’ at the show.
The collection was completed by Lisa Pettibone’s ‘Dune’ and ‘Silver Tongue 4’, Anthony McCabe’s ‘Tulip’, ‘Lily’ and ‘Seed Pod’ Glass Garden series, and Ian Godfrey/Gail Boothman’s ‘Inferno’, ‘Mystic Ocean’ and ‘Life Force’, plus my own pieces.
Additional items by Sunderland BA graduate, Sacha Delabre, and prototypes of glass flowerpots from UCA Farnham university created by Emma Rawson, were also on site or featured on the website. Giving students the chance to be included at Chelsea was always a priority for this project.
We are grateful to TV personality, Andy McConnell, who interviewed our artists for the cameras and added his personal charm and wit to the event.
Glass expert and TV personality Andy McConnell (left) and exhibitor Anthony McCabe.
The day was extraordinary because, as if on cue, John Parker, Professor Emeritus, Glass Science and Engineering at Sheffield University arrived, and Andy interviewed him for Instagram Live about his work to ensure the United Nations’ designation of 2022 as the International Year of Glass.
Matthew Demmon, President of British Glass (left) with Glass Garden organiser and curator, Gabrielle Argent.
We also welcomed the President of British Glass, Matthew Demmon, to our stand and tentatively discussed support for RHS Chelsea 2023.
Supporting the CGS’s 25th anniversary with a glass stand at Chelsea flew the flag for contemporary glass art and demonstrated to a reticent public that glass is safe, sustainable, practical and stunning in an outdoor setting.
By Gabrielle Argent
Read our preview news story and see more images of the glass pieces displayed at the Glass Garden here.
Main image: Several glass artists and styles were represented in the Glass Garden at Chelsea.
Three BA(hons) Ceramics and Glass students have their contemporary glass work showcased in the degree show at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) at Farnham in Surrey.
The show opens on 9 June and runs until 7 July 2022.
The students displaying their work in glass are Shannon Baker, Frankie Leigh and Eleanor Hughes.
Shannon Baker describes her work (main image) as, “A collection of functional glassware considering notions of the uncanny in domesticity, womanhood, and the intrinsic link to ideas of the mother.” She seeks to translate inexplicable thoughts and feelings into the physical realm. Here, hot glass has been shaped and formed using bronze body extensions – tools cast from the maker’s own body – to develop an intimacy with the untouchable hot glass.
Frankie Leigh’s work focuses on the theme of rejuvenation. She has first-hand experience of bush fires in her native Australia and the devastation they inflict on the landscape and natural world. Her blown glass objects are a celebration of new life and the beauty that can emerge after such trauma. Frankie is fascinated by the movement, flow and rhythm of hot glass; the bud-like forms and painterly layers of colour are evocative of flora and fauna rising from the ashes.
‘Rejuvenation’ by Frankie Leigh.
Eleanor Hughes uses the fluid nature of hot glass to pick up shards of coloured and textured broken glass. This results in an object that has pops of colour both within and on the surface. She explains, “My pieces reflect the way I build layers and marks in my sketchbook; a chaos of colour and visual texture.”
‘Mark-making in Glass’ by Eleanor Hughes.
The UCA BA(hons) Glass and Ceramics degree show takes place in Rooms W05 & W04 at University for the Creative Arts, Falkner Rd, Farnham, GU9 7DS. It is on until 7 July from 10am to 4pm daily, (closed Sundays).
Main image: ‘Love as a Homesickness’ by Shannon Baker.
Kit Paulson looks to the past for inspiration for her flameworked glass creations, which include fantastical headwear and old-style telephones. Linda Banks finds out more.
What led you to start working with glass?
I just kind of fell into it. Furnace working was one of the studio classes that was offered at my undergraduate university and I thought, ‘Hey, what the heck, might as well try it while I’m here’. It turns out that glass is endlessly fascinating and I’m still learning 20 years on.
You have perfected the use of the flameworking technique. Why does this method appeal to you?
There are a lot of great things about flameworking. It’s fairly simple and easy to set up a flameworking studio (particularly in comparison to setting up a hot shop, which is the area of glass I started in) and one can work alone and independently. It appeals to my innate love of small things, but flameworking can also be a good way to make large things out of small, modular parts. Borosilicate glass (the type that I use) is particularly good for this. I like the level of detail I can get with flameworking and how delicate I can make things.
‘Lace Mask’ by Kit Paulson is an example of her wearable art.
What is your creative approach? Do you draw your ideas out or dive straight in with the materials?
For many pieces I make a working, scale drawing that serves as a template. Often it’s easier to work out problems in a drawing before moving on to the material. But I do leave room for on-the-fly adjustments and additions. So I would say most pieces are about 80% planned and 20% improvised.
A lot of your work features sculptural, wearable glass art, often with a historical theme. What message(s) do you want to convey through this work?
I like to make objects that look as though they have come from an earlier time, but not from a recognisable, specific time. I create objects that look as if they must have existed but never did. The past is a source of endless inspiration for me. We are so connected with things that happened in the past but sometimes these connections are invisible without a bit of digging. My work is often a form of digging.
‘Cravat After Grinling Gibbons’ draws on historical references.
What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why?
My mini torch is my favourite. It’s a game-changer! It allows me to make incredibly small details and also to build large pieces. It’s a small, handheld torch, so I can use it to draw in three dimensions. I’m not constrained by having to bring my work to a bench torch, as I can bring the torch to the work.
‘Telephone’ is an example of how borosilicate glass can be used to create 3D work.
Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?
My favourite piece is usually the last thing I finished. Right now it’s a little piece I finished in Scotland at North Lands Creative that’s based on gothic cathedral architecture.
You teach at venues in the US and farther afield. How does this impact your own glass practice?
I really enjoy technical teaching. This involves breaking down and categorising processes and passing them on to students, who often do interesting things with them. I enjoy getting the chance to solve problems that I would never have come up with on my own. And I enjoy deepening my understanding of the material by explaining it to others. I always come away from teaching experiences with tons of new ideas and I always learn something.
Tiny flowers are a feature of ‘Elderflower Umbel’ by Kit Paulson.
Where do you show and sell your work?
It’s a fairly random game at this point. My larger, sculptural work doesn’t sell very well because it’s delicate and hard to transport. So it’s mostly my smaller production work that actually sells. Therefore, I sell little things on Etsy (kitpaulson.etsy.com) and in regional boutiques. Occasionally I’ll have a larger piece in a gallery show, but most of the work that I really care about is displayed in the gallery of my studio, which is arranged as a sort of Wunderkammer, or cabinet of curiosities.
Do you have a career highlight?
I was delighted to have a piece acquired last year by the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum.
Who or what inspires you?
I am inspired by glass itself, the endless different ways it can be manipulated and by the skill needed to manipulate it successfully. I am inspired by looking at objects from the past, and the way that humans have solved problems and created beauty through the clever use of materials. I am inspired by the dawn of The Age of Reason, when people were creating objects and methods of observation for natural processes.
‘Lungs’ demonstrates Kit Paulson’s mastery of the flame working technique for creating delicate details in glass. Photo: Brady Connelly.
Has the coronavirus impacted your practice?
Much of my time before COVID-19 had been spent in teaching, so when it struck I was suddenly at home and alone. This situation pushed me to set up an online outlet for my production work and to develop that work into something people actually want to buy. It gave me a lot of time in the studio that I wouldn’t otherwise have had.
Kit Paulson flameworking at the bench.
About the artist
Kit Paulson received her MFA from Southern Illinois University and her BFA from Alfred University in the USA. She has taught across the US and internationally at schools including Penland School of Craft; Pilchuck Glass School; Corning Museum of Glass; Bildwerk Frauenau, Germany; National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Ireland, and Canberra Glassworks in Canberra, Australia.
She has completed residencies at the S12 Gallery in Bergen, Norway, the Tacoma Museum of Glass, in the US, and, most recently, a three-year residency at Penland School of Craft.
She has received scholarships from Pilchuck Glass School, Corning Museum of Glass, Pittsburgh Glass Center, The Windgate Foundation and the Glass Art Society.
Her work has been published in New Glass Review editions 36, 37, 38 and 41 and is in the permanent collection of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum.
She is currently a studio artist in Penland, North Carolina, USA.
Kirsteen Aubrey, editor of the Contemporary Glass Society’s (CGS) print magazine, Glass Network, outlines some of the features members will see in the upcoming special 25th anniversary edition.
As is fitting in the CGS’s 25th year, in this 80th issue of Glass Network, Susan Purser Hope, our Chair, provides a timeline and the rationale behind the birth of CGS, outlining its objectives and many achievements as we celebrate our silver anniversary in 2022.
Her article reminisces on the early days of studio glass in the UK, from the establishment of British Artists in Glass (BAG) – the first organisation in the country to support professional glass artists and students in the 1970s – through to the launch of the CGS in the 1990s and beyond. Numerous glass artists involved with CGS offer their reflections.
In addition, this edition features artists working with diverse approaches to glass and a variety of techniques. One thing they have in common is that all are inspired by the transparency, colour and wonder of glass.
David Traub introduces his colourful glass, produced in New Zealand, and Lisa Pettibone explains how her work is destined for outer space!
Dominic Fonde explores illustrations and reflections that motivate his latest glasswork, while Cherisse Appleby explains how she uses UV-sensitive glass to produce scientific creative tools that aid understanding of health and wellbeing.
There are many glass exhibitions taking place in celebration of this special year – too many to mention here – but we focus on Chris Bird-Jones as shares her recent work, exhibited earlier this year.
The Glass Network print magazine is sent to all members of CGS twice a year as part of the membership package. Why not join our over 1,100 members in the UK and overseas and secure your copy? Read about the benefits and join here.
Image: ‘Unfurled’, (2020), by David Traub. Photo: Leigh Mitchell-Anyon.
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