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Electric dreams

Allister Malcolm is known for his glass art and, more recently, his appearances as a mentor on the tv series Make It At Market. As his studio moves towards increasingly sustainable practices, he has been inspired to create new work reflecting this journey. Linda Banks finds out more.

You are recognised internationally for your accomplished glass work. What led you to start working with glass originally?

Whilst on a Foundation course in art and design, my eyes were opened to the variety of degrees available in the creative environment. Initially I had been considering a degree in fine art, painting, illustration or sculpture. At that time I had a Saturday job with two metal sculptors working in the public art sector – Hilary Cartmel and Michael Johnson. They had both trained in the fine arts and had developed their skills enough to self-fabricate ambitious projects. Witnessing how they paved their way as artists gave me a valuable insight into what life might be like as an artist in a commercial world. It also convinced me that I should look at gaining a skill. I’d watched glassblowing and, like many others, was fascinated by glass in its molten state. With that in mind, I looked around various universities before taking the leap and applying to Wolverhampton.

One of a new series of ‘Nurturing Growth “Warriors”‘, which stands about 30cm tall. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

What glass techniques have you used and which do you prefer?

I’ve been lucky enough to have tried many techniques, including blowing glass freehand and mould blowing (I separate the two as they require different skills), sand casting, cane work, hot sculpting, hot glass surface embellishment, overlay work, cutting (lathe work) and sandblasting. I’ve tried many more, but I have invested time in these processes. I am drawn to work with glass in its molten state as it allows me to be as hands-on with the material as possible.

Allister Malcolm at work in the studio, which features an array of new, electric-powered equipment. Copyright: the artist.

What is your creative approach to new projects? Do you draw out the designs or dive in with the materials?

I tend to mull things over in my mind for a few days before putting anything down on paper. This my favourite part of the process – the development of a new concept. It seems that everything we do in the studio now requires a creative response. I enjoy it as it keeps me interested. 

I have to admit that initial drawings do not necessarily get put neatly in to a sketchbook. The fast pace of running a glass studio means the initial scribbles are often on the nearest piece of paper. We often say, “The best-laid plans are made on the back of an envelope!” As these initial ideas are developed they become a little neater, at which point they may be presented to a client. Once I’ve got a good idea of what we are aiming for, I step into the hot shop to carry out the first trial. The cost of time in the hot shop, both financially and environmentally, means that we don’t enter without a clear goal. 

Even with decades of experience, the process can still be unpredictable. It’s rare that a new concept can be produced perfectly or as I envisioned it on the first attempt. Sometimes, the initial tests sit on a shelf teasing me for a few days before I get the chance to develop them. The commercial pressures of running a studio mean that I juggle multiple projects and I have to prioritise.

This piece will feature in the Bead Biennale at the International Festival of Glass 2024. The bead measures 12cm in length. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

You have taken several steps to make your studio at the Stourbridge Glass Museum more environment friendly. Please tell us about what you have achieved so far and what further actions you have planned.

I regularly walk in to the studio and stop to take it all in. It’s hard to believe how much has changed in the last year; its been a whirlwind. The online presentation I gave to the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) in 2023 highlighted the advantages to converting a hot shop to electric. Here is a timeline showing the physical steps we’ve taken:

  • April 2023: glass studio rewired in preparation for new equipment to be installed. Switched to recycled/compostable packaging
  • May 2023: electric furnace installed, commissioned by Interpower Induction Ltd. First pieces produced
  • June 2023: planning consent obtained for a larger solar panel installation for the museum and the studio. I coordinated quotes and sought proposals for the photovoltaic systems
  • July 2023: electric annealing oven installed by KilnCare
  • September 2023: electric reheating chamber installed
  • October 2023: Presented in-depth talk to CGS about the benefits of converting a gas studio to electric, the highlights of which were published on my YouTube channel
  • November 2023: we run on 95% electric power for the first time
  • December 2023: structural survey complete, with weight loadings approved for solar panel installation at the museum
  • January 2024: tests on the electric reheating chamber concluded. Feedback provided to manufacturer. Upgraded version discussed and approved. Consequently I confirmed an order for the upgraded version
  • Feb 2024: upgraded wiring and our own (and the UK’s first) electric gloryhole/reheating chamber installed – the first of its kind in Europe
  • March 2024: Electric gloryhole installed
  • April 2024: Stourbridge Glass Museum awarded ACE capital investment funding for installation of solar panels to power the museum and the hot glass studio. I provided much of the research and was the driving force behind some of the detail.
  • April 2024: Terri Malcolm (my wife) develops a way to use glass offcuts for workshops and uses all our waste glass for awards
  • May 2024: electric contract switched to EDF 100% renewable energy
  • May 2024: solar panel installation scheduled for Autumn 2024.

Discussions are ongoing with a manufacturer on the last piece of equipment required (an electric pipe warmer). The aim is to complete its installation by the Autumn and to be the first running on 100% renewable energy (a percentage of which we generate ourselves).

We know from the changes that we have made that we have vastly reduced our carbon footprint. Our calculations prove we are saving a great deal of carbon emissions – equivalent to the carbon emissions generated by a family car driven 3.5 times around the planet annually – even before the solar panels are installed.

This large bead will be on display in Allister’s studio during the International Festival of Glass this summer. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

Has moving from gas to electric impacted your working practices?

Consider this: you have been cooking on a gas stove for decades. With little warning you are asked to switch to the world’s first air fryer. You have been told this new equipment is capable of doing the same job, but where do you start? What are your timings? You are way out of your comfort zone, but who can guide you? This is the predicament that I have found myself in for the last year, with no one to ask for advice. I realise that I’m helping to write the guidelines for others to potentially follow. Yes, this is scary. We have had to adapt timings and get used to a different way of working. It’s also very exciting and I am proud to have been in the position to be the first to embrace this way of working and showcase its potential.

These ‘Volt Vessels’ were the first pieces produced in the electric furnace in 2023. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

What message(s) do you want to convey through your art?

A pivotal moment for me was experiencing the worst effects of the energy crisis. My studio was hit so hard I thought that I would cease to continue as a professional glass artist. By transitioning to 95% renewable energy sources in my art and consciously stepping away from fossil fuels, it has felt like a fresh start. 

Recently, I developed an interest in air plants. I use them to depict a biodiverse and healthy scene in some of my latest work. These plants rest within coloured vessels and stems to create a vibrant landscape, encouraging the viewer to feel positive about adopting sustainable practices.

Detail of ‘The Thriving Canopy’, which is 50cm tall, 1m wide and 50cm deep. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?

I find my latest pieces, displayed as a collection with the plants, really uplifting. Glass has been used for such a long time to display flowers and foliage and I am enjoying putting a new spin on this. Taking tiny plants and elevating their status has been a new direction, both visually and conceptually. It has also been a long time since I have produced anything figurative and I am enjoying the challenge that this brings.

These ‘Nurturing Growth’ pods stand 26cm tall. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

You have been a mentor to emerging glass artists on the tv series Make It At Market. Please tell us more about that experience and any challenges and opportunities.
This was such a rewarding experience. One of the biggest challenges was to present each artist with a different set of goals. I had to be careful and consider that it would not make good tv viewing to see me week after week repeating the same message. As soon as I met the artists and heard their stories I saw that each had particular strengths that would lead in different directions. I knew how I could help to make a positive impact on their careers. The filming seemed incidental, as I enjoyed the process so much. 

Cameras followed us over the course of a few months while I was still running the studio and providing glassmaking activity for the public visiting the museum. There were some long days as a result. It felt odd when the filming ceased and we had to wait for the show to be aired – it seemed a desperately long wait. 

I am really proud of how each artist performed during the process and enjoy seeing success come their way. I am aware a callout has been circulated by Flabbergast TV for series three of Make It At Market and I would encourage anyone to apply!

‘Oasis’ stands 45cm tall. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

Where is your glass practice heading next?

If you had asked me this question 18 months ago, I would not have given a positive response. The energy crisis had hit me hard and I honestly thought it was in my last year as a professional glass artist. The exciting thing about life is that my exact direction is not known. I know what we have lined up for the next four or five months. We are working on a couple of exciting projects that we can’t discuss right now. 

I feel like I have been given a second chance, as converting to electric has set us up for the future and, with this, new work is emerging. I am looking forward to seeing the response. I am also embracing the notion that we have the perfect studio and position to help inspire the next generation of glass enthusiasts. To summarise, I feel very positive about the future.

Find out more about Allister Malcolm and his glass practice via the website.

Main feature image: Allister Malcolm’s ‘The Thriving Canopy’ elevates air plants and encourages the viewer to feel positive about adopting sustainable practices. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

CGS New Horizons exhibition at Stourbridge Glass Museum this summer

Following on from the Contemporary Glass Society’s (CGS) successful 25th Anniversary exhibition at the Stourbridge Glass Museum in 2022, we are returning to the Museum with the show ‘New Horizons’ in 2024.

This exhibition will showcase new work that has not been exhibited before, made by over 20 invited artists, using both traditional and modern methods of glass making. This contemporary work challenges and explores the boundaries of glass.

‘Mutualism Triptych’ by Verity Pulford. Photo: Stephen Heaton Photography.

Glassmaking processes including hot glass, casting, kiln formed, pâte de verre, lampworking, neon and stained glass will be represented by the following artists: Anthony Amoako Attam, Emma Baker, Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg, Heike Brachlow, Sarah Brown, Karen Browning, Penny Carter, James Devereux, Catherine Dunstan, Fiaz Elson, Dominic Fonde, Richard Jackson, Verity Pulford, Susan Purser Hope, Laura Quinn, Tim Rawlinson, Opal Seabrook, Ruth Shelley, Angela Thwaites and Brian Waugh.

New Horizons runs for four months from 13 July to 17 November 2024 and coincides with the Stourbridge-based International Festival of Glass and British Glass Biennale, which take place during the summer, so make sure to visit if you are coming to that event. Alongside this stunning display of work, CGS will be running supporting events, including artist talks and an opportunity to meet some of the makers.

Penny Carter’s ‘Totem Vases’. Photo: Thomas Moran Images.

This cornucopia of glass work reflects the dynamism and sheer talent of contemporary glass in this country and demonstrates how glass makers continue to develop and challenge our understanding of glass as an artistic medium.

The Stourbridge Glass Museum is an ideal venue to host this display of exemplary contemporary glass from CGS members. As well as highlighting glass from the present day, the Museum houses over 500 items from the internationally renowned Stourbridge Glass Collection, celebrating the heritage of glassmaking locally and internationally.

‘Trewyn Light’ by Tim Rawlinson. Photo: Alick Cotterill.

Stourbridge Glass Museum is at Stuart Works, High Street, Wordsley DY8 4FB, UK. https://www.stourbridgeglassmuseum.org.uk


Main image: HeikeBrachlow’s ‘Dione’ (2023). Photo: Ester Segarra. 

Emerging glass artists can apply for Stanislav Libenský Award

Registration for the fifteenth Stanislav Libenský Award is open to young glass artists from around the world.

The exhibition, which was established in 2009, will take place in the historic Clam-Gallas Palace in Prague, under the auspices of the wife of the President of the Czech Republic, Mrs Eva Pavlova.

Stanislav Libenský is considered one of the most outstanding Czech glasswork artists and professors. His works, created in collaboration with Jaroslava Brychtová, are held in museums and galleries worldwide. Alongside his glass career, he taught at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. He was a director and professor at the School of Applied Arts for Glassmaking in Železný Brod, where he lived and worked most of his life.

The Stanislav Libenský award competition aims to help the development of fresh glass art and compare different approaches and methods.

Through this competition, and subsequent exhibition, the main organiser, the Prague Gallery of Czech Glass, aims to help young artists to enter the business world and explore the potential of glass.

The deadline to apply is 15 September 2024.

The Grand Opening of the exhibition will be held at Clam-Gallace Palace, Prague, Czech Republic, on 3 December 2024 at 6pm.

For more information and to apply, use this link.

Find out more about the previous exhibitions here.

Calling 2024 graduates for Glass Prize – applications open

Students graduating from a UK or Irish glass course in 2024 have the opportunity to apply for the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) and Glass Sellers’ Glass Prize and inclusion in the annual New Graduate Review magazine.

As students emerge from their education, CGS and the Glass Sellers aim to support graduates at the beginning of their journey on a long career in glass making. The New Graduate Review is distributed widely and offers graduates the chance to promote their work to a worldwide audience. Many previous winners have gone on to establish themselves as professional makers.

There will be a Winner, Second Prize plus two Runners-up prizes, along with several Commendations.  All will appear in the Glass Sellers’/CGS New Graduate Review.

PRIZES:

First prize
£500 cash
£200 vouchers from Creative Glass UK
A promotional package, including cover and feature in the New Graduate Review
Two years’ CGS membership
A year’s subscription to Neues Glas – New Glass: Art & Architecture magazine
Alan J Poole will provide a selection of glass-related books

Second Prize
£150 cash
£100 voucher from Warm Glass
A year’s subscription to Neues Glas – New Glass: Art & Architecture magazine
One year’s CGS membership

Runners Up
Two Runners-up will each receive:
£50 voucher from Pearsons Glass
A year’s subscription to Neues Glas – New Glass: Art & Architecture magazine.
One year’s CGS Membership

Application forms are available from 3 June 2024 via CuratorSpace here.

Entry deadline: Monday 15 July 2024 at 5pm.

The New Graduate Review is a 16-page print publication that will be circulated extensively to all colleges, museums, CGS members, as well as being distributed with Neues Glas – New Glass: Art & Architecture(circulated worldwide). It is a wonderful opportunity for graduates to have their work seen across the world.

There will also be an online exhibition on the CGS website.  This will show all work featured in the New Graduate Review.

Criteria for Selection

You must be graduating from a British or Irish accredited course in 2024.
Work must consist of at least 50% glass.
The work will be judged for quality and concept.

A panel of experts will select the prizes winners.

Winning entries will be announced by 15 August 2024, together with Commended graduates, who will all feature in the New Graduate Review, which will be published in November 2024.

CGS is grateful to all the sponsors, without whom this opportunity would not be possible: Professor Michael Barnes MD FRCP, The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London Charity Fund, Creative Glass UK, Warm Glass, Pearsons Glass, Neues Glas and Alan J Poole.

Image: Work by 2023 Graduate Prize Winner, Beth Colledge.

Planet Earth glass exhibition in London

This summer, visit London Glassblowing for an exhibition of contemporary glass paying homage to the beauty of Planet Earth and the need to protect it.

From 7-30 June 2024, ‘Planet Earth: An Ode to Our Wonderful World’ will showcase glass artworks inspired by the wonders of the natural world. This exhibition aims to create a powerful artistic experience that ignites a deeper appreciation for the planet’s magnificence.

Through sculpture, installation and more, almost 30 artists will present a poetic ode to the vibrant landscapes, creatures and ecosystems that make up the rich tapestry of life on Earth. Some also sound an environmental call to action through their interpretation of the escalating effects of climate change.

Exhibiting artists: Amanda Simmons, Andrea Spencer, Scala & Shilling, Bruce Marks, Catherine Dunstan, Cathryn Shilling, Celia Dowson, Claire Hall, Colin Reid, Davide Penso, Deborah Timperley, James Alexander, Jane Reeves, Kate Jones, Kate Pasvol, Katherine Huskie, Layne Rowe, Monette Larsen, Nancy Sutcliffe, Nina Casson McGarva, Olga Alianova, Peter Layton, Rachel Elliot, Ruth Shelley, Sabrina Cant, Stephen Foster, Tim Rawlinson and Verity Pulford.

London Glassblowing is at 62-66 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UD, UK. Find out more here.

Image: Nancy Sutcliffe’s engraved glass will be part of the exhibition.

Present at GAS conference 2025

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The Glass Art Society (GAS) is inviting proposals for presentations and hot demonstrations or lecmos showcasing new technologies for its Texas 2025 conference.

Presenters do not have to be members of GAS to take part and proposals are welcome from all aspects of glassmaking and all career levels.

The conference takes place from 14-17 May 2025 in Arlington and Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The event theme, Trailblazing New Traditions, will focus on how glass artists and makers can make the innovations of the present into the glassmaking traditions of the future. The GAS Board and Site Committee are looking for proposals that embrace the conference theme, innovation and diversity.

Proposals should include information about what techniques the presentation would showcase, explain how this perspective is unique, as well as how it would address the conference theme.

Facilities for presenters

The main conference site – the University of Texas at Arlington – has a complete neon facility, a six-station air-conditioned hot shop, a fully equipped cold shop, 12 casting and fusing kilns, a metal foundry and studio, a wood shop and a print shop. Grey Area Studio, one of the flameworking venues, also has a soft glass furnace available for demonstrations.

Find out more in the Proposal Guidelines.

Prospective presenters can also register to attend two virtual Q&A sessions on 20 June (11pm BST) and 8 July (3pm BST).

The deadline for applications is 14 July 2024.

Excellence award for Hannah Gibson recycled glass

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Congratulations to UK glass artist Hannah Gibson, who has been awarded a Habatat Detroit Award of Excellence at the US glass gallery’s 52nd Annual International Glass Invitation Award Exhibition for her cast glass figures ‘Recycling Narratives, 10 Green Bottles’.

This accolade was awarded by the Bergstrom Mahler Museum of Glass and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.

Each of the 10 figures in this artwork is made from 100% recycled glass (left to right):

Cohesion – recycled car windshields/windscreens

Botanicals – recycled Neal’s Yard Remedies bottles

All Aboard Amber – recycled railway signal lenses

Casting Call – recycled glass with textile inclusions

All Aboard, Cyan – recycled railway signal lenses

Time & Tide wait for None – recycled glass with watch part inclusions

Didymium – recycled Didymium glass

Celebration – recycled Perrier Jouet bottles

Without Pixels Behind – recycled Bang & Olufsen television screens

Tangible Hope – recycled COVID-19 vaccination vials.

While studying Geology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, Hannah became fascinated by mineralogy and the reactions between various elements, metals and compounds. This led her towards a passion for the alchemy of glass.

Capturing the nostalgic imagery of childhood, exposing hidden narratives, through cast sculptural glass stands at the core of her work. She is passionate about sustainability and recycling, using only recycled glass and found objects.

Read more about Hannah Gibson and her glass work in this CGS interview.

Image: ‘Recycling Narratives, 10 Green Bottles’ by Hannah Gibson.

Glass Beginnings graduate exhibition participants announced

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Contemporary glass works by 15 new and recent graduates will be shown at the General Office Gallery in Stourbridge, West Midlands, from 17 August to 1 September 2024.

The ‘Glass Beginnings’ show is presented in association with the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) and features works by emerging glass artists graduating from a British or Irish accredited course in 2024 or an accredited MA or PhD course in 2023.

The exhibition offers a great opportunity for these makers to be exposed to an international audience during the period of the International Glass Festival in Stourbridge this August, and beyond.

The exhibition will feature works by Dorothy Chan, Charis Constantinou, Roberta De Caro, Jiayun Ding, Maria Donnai, Nancy Farrington, Jo Guile, Suzie Lavender, Sophie Longwill, Kit Martin, Liz Waugh McManus, Lorna McNamara and Bethan Yates.

Also exhibiting are two graduates from the 2022 and 2023 Glass Sellers’ Contemporary Glass Society Glass Prize: Harry Chadwick (runner up) and Thomas Radburn (highly commended).

The works to be displayed span a broad range of techniques, exploring the materiality of glass from contemporary stained glass to pâte de verre, cast glass, laser-engraved and blown glass, often incorporating geological compounds and elements, metals, ceramics and fabrics.

Opening Preview Evening: 17 August 7-9pm

Gallery open 11am-4pm Wednesday-Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday)

On Festival Days (23-26 August), open 10am-5pm daily.

There is also the opportunity to speak to the artists during a Meet the Makers Day on 24 August from 2-5pm.

General Office Gallery is at 12 Hagley Road, Stourbridge DY8 1PS, UK. Website: https://generaloffice.co.uk

NB: The Gallery is on first floor with stair access only.

Image: Suzie Lavender’s ‘Reactions Series III’.

Apply for Jutta Cuny-Franz Memorial Award 2025

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Glass artists aged up to 40 (in 2025) are invited to make a note to apply for the upcoming Jutta Cuny-Franz Memorial Award 2025.

This open, international call for artists who make significant use of glass in their work takes place every two years. Online applications are free of charge and will be accepted from 29 July to 6 October 2024.

Artists may submit images of up to three recent works (made in 2023 or 2024) for the competition.

The first prize is 10,000 Euros and there are also two talent awards, each worth 1,500 Euros.

The Jutta Cuny-Franz Memorial Award was founded by Ruth-Maria Franz (1910-2008) to keep alive the memory of her daughter and artist Jutta Cuny (1940-1983).

Jutta Cuny was one of the most distinguished protagonists of European glass sculpture from the mid-1970s to her early tragic, accidental death. Shaped by sandblasting from solid glass blocks, her sculptures opened new paths into glass art. Her cubic, polished blocks gained shape through their complex, matted interiors. Jutta Cuny preferred to work with transparent glass alongside materials such as bronze or porcelain.

Through a number of generous gifts and the bequest of Ruth-Maria Franz, the Glasmuseum Hentrich in Germany now owns the artistic legacy of Jutta Cuny, including five major, and a number of smaller, works of art. It is the largest collection of her work in a public institution.

Ruth-Maria Franz established the Jutta Cuny-Franz Foundation in Vienna in 1984. At her request, management of the foundation was transferred to Glasmuseum Hentrich in Dusseldorf in 1994.

Further information about the award and application process, along with a calendar reminder, is available via this link.

Further background about the award is available via this link.

Create stained glass inspired by William Morris for exhibition

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The British Society of Master Glass Painters (BSMGP) is inviting its members to make glass panels in response to the theme ‘Inspired by William Morris’ for an online and touring exhibition.

The panels can be made with traditional stained glass techniques or with contemporary and experimental methods. Works by professionals, enthusiasts or novices are welcome.

Around 30 panels will be selected by a jury of experts to go to the International Festival of Glass in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in August, and then on to the Stained Glass Museum at Ely, Cambridge until the end of October. Other venues are being considered. They will be exhibited in a new display stand sponsored by Sanderson, which holds the Morris & Co. archive.

All work for the touring exhibition should be for sale and include a 40% commission fee. Sold work will leave the exhibition and there will be an opportunity for other panels to be displayed.

The deadline for submissions for the initial phase of the touring exhibition is 30 June 2024. There is a £30 selection fee to enter. Selected panels will need to be delivered to Wells or Stourbridge by the middle of August.

The online exhibition will be open until the end of 2025, so people have plenty of time to make a panel.

BSMGP membership costs £55 and is open to everyone. Join the organisation via this link.

See some of the entries made so far and find out more via this link.

Image: Fabrizia Bazzo’s ‘Woman with Tulip and Willow’ is one of the early entries for the exhibition.