Bright Adventures: Interview with Karen Donnellan

In my new position as one of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) glass artists in residence, I have the pleasure of sitting beside one of the most interesting emerging artists in Irish Glass today: Karen Donnellan. We have been acquainted for some time, meeting at glassy events and giving the awkward nod of acknowledgement which says ‘I know who you are...ish’ on campus. While she was a familiar name to me, I was otherwise concerned with important student matters (drinking and danc- I mean intensive study) but now we’re desk-neighbours. The significance and scope of her practice to date has seriously impressed me. 

'Ensō II', Pâte De Verre,Karen Donellan, 2011

Karen is my favourite kind of hippy; one with a great work ethic. The circle often features in her works and she treats the intricate, repetitive methods of her making process as a meditation or mantra. At its core, her practice explores the potential for healing via the manipulation of universal energy. It is thoughtful, considered work, made with care and informed conceptually by her extensive study of metaphysical philosophies. She also practices what she preaches; I've seen her burning sage to clear a space of “dense energies” and she’s a qualified Reiki healer.

'Essentia' -  Karen Donellan  

Since she graduated with her MFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), New York in 2011, Karen has worked and exhibited extensively. Many readers will be familiar with her Essentia series which featured in last year’s Future Makers prize-winner’s exhibition at the NCAD Gallery and most recently at the Irish Craft Portfolio Exhibition at the RHA. 

Sometimes as an artist, you come across a web-page that is the visual equivalent of a particularly delicious ice-cream. Recently my little bit of internet delight has been J/K: Light Glass and Space: The blog began as part of an ongoing collaboration between Karen and American glass-artist John Hogan and thus far has led to their exciting Emerging Artist Residency (EAR) at Pilchuck Glass School last autumn. This blog is packed with my favourite kind of internet eye candy; sculptural light and experimental glass.

After combing though the blog for an unhealthy amount of hours I asked Karen if she would do a short interview about the experience and her future plans:

MM: The work you made at Pilchuck is visually very different to your previous work from your MFA. Was that because it was a collaboration or have you moved your work in a different direction?

KD: A lot of people have said that; that it doesn't look anything like my work, but I wear ridiculous colours all the time! I worked with colour the whole way through NCAD and the light and projection has always been an interest. In core year at NCAD I worked a lot with plastics, water and light. Then again during the masters, I spent some time experimenting with an overhead projector and seeing how different glass objects projected. I've dabbled on and off with those ideas and maybe I wasn't encouraged or didn't have the confidence to bring it any further but it’s always been an interest.

Collection of 'curios' , cut polished and laminated glass,  J/K 2013

MM: How did you decide to collaborate with John Hogan?

KD: We met at Pilchuck in 2012 when we were both Teaching Assistants. We were sharing the same studio space and assisted each other a bit in the hotshop. John works as a glass blower and designer in Seattle. He’s also done a lot of casting and cold working. (He did a residency last year in the Czech Republic with the maestro Milan Handl.) John showed me his work and I was just really into it – he was using a lot of dichroic glass and gave me some to try out. I’ve always been fascinated by dichro. You don’t see it used much in contemporary work, it’s completely underrated! I suggested a collaboration and when the Pilchuck residency came up we just said, “let’s go for it”!

Projection. J/K 2013

ME: You did loads of different things during your time at Pilchuck, is this collaboration going to continue?

KD: Yes, definitely. The work we've made so far is really experimental and even though it was a seven week residency it felt like we had only got going when we had to finish. The work developed in various directions but on the next residency we’d like to hone in on the rear projection systems.

MM: So I guess the last question is what’s next for you?

 KD: Work-wise I’m getting to grips with neon and developing some new projects around glass and sound. I’ve also just begun working on some lighting designs with Suzannah Vaughn and Perch. At the end of the month I’m heading to Cill Rialaig in Ballinskelligs for a retreat residency. The plan is to get away from glass for a while and just read, draw, paint…and maybe print.

Since I spoke to Karen for this interview there have been several exciting developments: Firstly it’s been confirmed that she will teach a pate de verre workshop this August at the Glass Furnace in Turkey. She has also been awarded an Emerging Artist Lecture at this year’s Glass Art Society Conference in Chicago.

Finally, massive news for J/K – Karen and John will continue their collaboration with a week’s residency at the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio from March 14^th – 19^th. I can’t wait to see what they do next!

'Golden Rectangle' - hand made sheet glass, wood. 73x16x5, J/K, 2013

Written by Meadhbh McIlgorm,
GSoI Media and Communications Officer

(top image: Scan of dichroic glass, J/K 2013)  

GSoI: Looking back on Orientate (Part 2)

Mmmmmmmm... So lunch was delicious, all were in agreement on that point. The cosy atmosphere of the canteen also provided a good opportunity for guests, speakers and board members alike to relax and discuss the conference so far. We felt that this was a very important element to include in the day. Opportunities for the Irish glass community to mingle are rare enough and we wanted to ensure the day left some room for everyone to re-connect and make some new connections.

Lunch finished and food digesting nicely we made our way back to the lecture hall. While the first half of the conference featured talks from speakers whose professional careers had been led by glass/craft but did not work with the material directly, the latter half was devoted to artists working with glass specifically.

Angela Thwaites 

First up was the wonderful Angela Thwaites. Angela is a glass artist, researcher and teacher based in London. She works predominately in kiln-cast glass and has been involved extensively in numerous research projects on refractory mould making for glass.  She talked about her practice and the development of her career which began with an undergraduate degree in glass and ceramics from Farnham College of Art and Design, Surry. A monumental point in her career occurred in 1983 when she was awarded a scholarship to study under one of the all-time masters of glass casting; Professor Libensky. After receiving three more consecutive scholarships, she completed her MA at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague in 1985. 

Angela pointed out that the meaning of orientate is ‘to determine one’s position with reference to another point’.  She described her extensive career as a journey where, “each experience leads to another.” Her study period under the Czech master was a pivotal point in her practice. After it she was part of a research project at the Royal College of Art and in 2010 she was commissioned to write a book Mould Making for Glass which followed on from the findings of the project. She reminded us that any small opportunity such as a conversation at a conference perhaps or an exhibition call, could lead to the next important step in our careers. She also stressed that an open mind and willingness to never stop learning are paramount to progression.

The other area of Angela’s career which she feels has really brought her many valuable experiences is teaching. Angela is currently senior lecturer in Design Crafts at De Montfort University, Leicester and a tutor at Richmond Adult and Community College. In addition, she has taught at numerous institutions as a visiting lecturer and continues to teach workshops and master-classes in glass casting internationally. She finds teaching very rewarding and feels she often learns as much from students as they learn from her. We were delighted to have Angela teach a casting workshop in NCAD just prior to the symposium. She truly is a passionate and engaging educator. All the workshop participants enjoyed her warm, relaxed manner and genuine enthusiasm towards their casting projects. In addition to her teaching duties Angela works from her own studio which is slowly taking over her back garden. She is currently working on several projects, assisted by her cat!

Our second practitioner talk was from Slovenian artist and designer Tanja Pak(pronounced Tanya). Tanja is currently head of the glass and ceramics programme at the Academy of Fine Art and Design in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital. Tanja’s talk was entitled ‘Immersed in Duality’ and she focused on her relationship with glass as both an artist and a designer.

Tanja Pak

Her work is influenced by the rhythm and flow of the natural world. She works from a restrained colour pallet; black, white and transparent glass, so nothing distracts from the organic simplicity of her forms. Tanja began her career as an industrial designer, graduating in 1994 from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. This initial training in design is evident in how her complex ideas are simplified and expressed as functional glassware which is manufactured in collaboration with Slovenian glass factories. The glass tableware is functional and stylish and has received honourable mentions in the Red Dot Design Awards. While it is very commercially successful, evidence of the artist’s passions and influences still remain. The design of the vessels echo water drops and ripples. Graceful curves and soft lines give these manufactured pieces a very organic and feminine feel. Tanja does not see a difference, as such, between her practice as a designer and as an artist. The same inspirations create both lines of work; they are two sides of the same coin and walking the line between them is an exciting challenge for her.

There is a meditative quality to all her work – quiet and still, a frozen moment. It is most evident in her large installations which are often immersive environments incorporating smells and sounds as well as lighting and visuals. An example of one such installation was Within at Ljubljana Castle, 2010. This work featured cast glass branches, illuminated within wooden ‘trees’. The room was darkened and visitors’ footsteps muted by the chipped bark across the floor. The bark also filled the room with an earthy smell, further enhancing the illusion of being in meditative woodland. The atmosphere Tanja creates in her installations is one of tranquillity and reflection. She uses glass for its special relationship with light which becomes part of the complete experience of the work. “Glass for me”, she said, “is pure poetry”. Her talk showed numerous slides and videos of her installation but I imagine they cannot compete with seeing the work in person – I hope I get the chance to do so one day.

Cappy Thompson 

Wrapping up a very successful and informative day was CappyThompson who came all the way from her native Seattle, Washington, USA. Cappy is regarded as one of the world’s best glass painters, a master of the grisaille or gray-tonal painting technique. However, the material glass or the technique she uses is not of central importance to her. Cappy is first and foremost a painter and what is important is the narrative content of the work rather than its canvas. She is self-taught in glass working, beginning as a stained glass painter. Her initial paintings were influenced by folk art and mythology. While the design of her imagery still references this style of drawing the content developed to become entirely her own and is drawn from her personal life experiences and dreams.

Cappy’s lecture dealt with her beginnings as an artist and then traced the development of her style and career through the content of her work. The audience, at least many that I spoke to afterwards, were really moved by Cappy’s lecture. It caught you off guard; one minute she would be telling a cheerful anecdote about an element in the story, the next moment she would reveal a very personal and painful memory. Her talk was warm, sincere and unassuming and I think it really allowed the audience to connect with the work she shared with us. The narrative style of her work easily captures the imagination, enriched by the detail and jewel-like colours. Hearing the story behind each of the characters she paints makes the beautiful work even more appealing.

Cappy has been producing her unique work for over thirty years and in that time she has taught workshops internationally in major glass institutions. We at GSoI made the most of Cappy’s visit to Ireland – she taught a great workshop at the National Sculpture Factory in Cork before the conference and another great one to the National College of Art and Design glass students the week after in Dublin. It wasn’t all work though, she did get to see Cork, Dublin and lots of beautiful Irish countryside while she was here and we assure you, she said she really enjoyed her stay!

When the talks finished up we headed over to Tactic Gallery at Sample Studios for the opening of Sofie Loscher’s exhibition Waiting in the Wings. Sofie’s exhibition one of two exhibitions curated by GSoI’s vice-chairperson Emer Lynch to coincide with the symposium. Our guest speaker Jerome Harrington formally opened the exhibition after a brief curator’s speech from Emer. Conference guests and speakers had a chance network and mingle a little more at the exhibition with a well earned cold beer. The second exhibition in the 'Orientate' visual arts programme, These Liquid Brinks featured artist Caroline Doolin and was opened at The Guesthouse on Sunday November 3^rd with a tea and cake reception. The exhibitions were very well received – but I won’t say more than that because Emer has promised me a much more exciting article discussing both them and her work as a curator in more detail in the New Year, thanks Emer.

GSoI Team with speakers and artists at Tactic 

Tanja Pak and Fiona Bryne

'Orientate' was a great success for the GSoI in 2013. 

Many thanks to all who were a part of it and cheers to something even better next year!   

About the author

Meadhbh McIlgorm studied glass at the National College of Art and Design and graduated in June 2013. She is the GSoI Media and Communications Officer; those of you present at ‘Orientate’ would have seen her at the registration desk and the rest of you are probably familiar with her monthly e-bulletins and notifications. 

She is currently Artist in Residence in the NCAD glass department.  

GSoI: Looking back on 'Orientate' 2013

the auction exhibition in CIT Crawford College foyer
(photo Michael Holly, 2013) 

   

Dear reader, On Saturday the 2^nd of November 2013 the recently re-formed Glass Society of Ireland held its first international symposium; ‘Orientate’ in CIT Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork. Early that morning our favourite GSoI members (I joke, we have no favourites – we just hope even more of you can make it next year) sacrificed their Saturday lie-in to join us for a day of stimulating talks and presentations from a variety of glass practitioners, craft writers and curators.

The choice to include such a range of professional fields amongst our speakers was deliberate. We are acutely aware that the future of glass as an art material relies upon much more than a talented artists working alone in a studio. Everyone is connected by a vital network of dependency – the artists, the writer, the curator, the buyer. The symposium ‘Orientate’ was aptly titled; this conference aimed to uncover how contextualising the material has underpinned glass as an occupation - exploring how we orientate ourselves around the material.

Mimmo Paladino: El Rabdomante, Glasstress 2013

Our first speaker that morning was our keynote speaker Dr Francesca Giubilei. We asked Francesca to give the keynote address as she is Project Manager and Curators Assistant for the pioneering Glasstress exhibition. Glasstress, a satellite exhibition of the world renowned Venice Biennale, seeks to open up the use of glass as a material by giving artists access to the incredible skills and expertise of Murano’s glass-masters to produce work.

 

With her charming Italian accent, Francesca talked us through the origins of Glasstress, a project she described as ‘a bridge between the old idea of glass and the future.’ Projects like Glasstress are breaking down the perception of glass as a disciplined craft material and injecting it into the ‘anything’s possible’ world of contemporary fine art. Francesca’s lecture really set the tone about the pivotal point that glass is at today. The Glasstress exhibition 2013 was on show in Venice until the 24^th of November and will travel to the London College of Fashion next year.  

Helen Story: The Dress of Glass and Flame, Glasstress 2013 

After Dr Giubilei’s lecture the audience had the opportunity to ask questions and converse. An interesting discussion arose from the audience about the importance of ‘intellectual property’ when a glass-master is involved in the production of an artwork. Do projects like Glasstress undermine the technical skills and achievements of the glass-masters? Many of the makers present in the audience felt slightly uncomfortable with the idea that this style of a conceptually led project might be the way forward for glass. While everyone seemed to agree that the collaborations and exchange of knowledge occurring in Venice are exciting there also seemed to be a consensus that ‘we must not just train thinkers’ and that technical skills must not lose their value. 

The next speaker of the morning was our only Irish national: Dr Eleanor Flegg. Eleanor is a writer and lecturer. Craft is her main inspiration although as she informed us, she does not consider herself ‘a champion to the cause of craft’ she writes about it because she finds it interesting. Eleanor’s talk was a personal favourite: though it had very little to do with glass, it had everything to do with the potential of writing to explore all kinds of art/objects.  She talked about the different types of writing that may be used in the context of writing about craft – how it is often indulgent writing, focusing on promoting the artist/gallery/material or bland information based around dates locations and statistics about the piece or person in question. Critical writing is less common but is something that perhaps should be considered more since, Eleanor pointed out, “the reason that I write at all is to find out what I think.” Our thoughts and opinions are rarely straightforward; the reflective process of writing can help us assess them more clearly. She referred to writing as “a making process – it’s just not three dimensional”. Eleanor is interested in finding new ways of writing about craft and she is currently writing a speculative fiction novel based on her experience of a ceramic artist’s work (the name eludes me, I apologise). She delighted us by reading an extract from it during her talk – it was the most unusual way of engaging with an object I've encountered and strangely captivating. 

A central point of Eleanor’s talk left lingering in my mind was the idea that we should be ‘pushing boundaries without being certain of the results’. She is pushing boundaries in her atypical craft writing practice just as exhibitions like Glasstress push boundaries and break material tradition. If the audience – who were largely makers and students - were to take just one thing away from her talk I hope it’s an appreciation of the power of writing as a tool towards understanding our own opinion and perhaps our own practice in a way that is just that little bit more considered and - no pun intended, crafted.

Jerome Harrington, 'Glass in the Expanded Field' - Diagram.

The third speaker of the morning was Jerome Harrington. Jerome is a UK artist with a background in glass making whose current work takes an ‘expanded’ view of working with glass. He is not so much interested in working with the material itself as investigating how it is culturally perceived and utilized.  Jerome broke his talk into 3 loose sections, based around the questions ‘why glass?’, ‘what is glass?’ and ‘what does glass mean?’. One of Jerome’s most interesting projects the audience found was his 2011 study of Glass in the Expanded Field. Based on Rosalind Krauss’s exploration of the expanded field of sculpture in the 1960s, Glass in the Expanded Field is a study of how glass makers identify themselves and their peers within the discipline: subjects orientated themselves on a diagram in proximity to either ‘prioritising of craft skill’ or ‘prioritising of concept’. The results of the study show a wide range of stances by makers as to where they position themselves in relation to the studio glass movement, to craft practice and to fine art.

 

Emer Lynch and our panel of speakers
(photo Michael Holly 2013)

The morning session concluded with a panel discussion featuring the three speakers and led by GSoI Vice-Chairperson Emer Lynch, a curator whose own practice has developed from her educational background in glass at the National College of Art and Design. Emer invited the audience to engage with the speakers and ask questions on issues raised in their lectures. The main subject that was discussed was the difference between glass art and glass craft, and if indeed there was a difference at all. The apparent consensus within the audience was that the labels are generally nothing more than ‘marketing categories’ and that in general the discussion is one that makers can become fixated with but the general public don’t particularly care about the distinction. Everyone in the audience seemed interested in the debate and I imagine that if time allowed we might have continued to pick the speakers brains all afternoon but time waits for no one and it was off to a delicious lunch of home-made curry, courtesy of the college canteen. Yum!

To be continued! 

 Written by Meadhbh McIlgorm 
GSoI Media and Communications Officer

GSoI Nov Events 2013

So we have had a very busy year so far at GSoI but its not over yet! In Nov we will be having  a series of exciting events in both Dublin and Cork - workshops, an exhibition and a conference with a fantastic line up of speakers...

 Here's a little taster so you can be sure to put us in your dairy!

CultureCraft: Craft in the Making @ The London Street Gallery, Derry

(If you haven't seen it yet there's still time, but hurry the final day, August 22nd is fast approaching!)

 CultureCraft: Craft in the Making is an engaging exhibition at the London Street Gallery that challenged 37 craft artists to create an original work in response to the question of culture and how that may or may not play a role in their practice. 

Derry-Londonderry has been named as the inaugural UK City of Culture 2013. CultureCraft is part of a series of events across the city that is both a response to and a celebration of the city's great achievement. The exhibition venue is located in the old part of the city, near the iconic walls so central to the political and cultural heritage of the city. The temporary gallery can be seen as a key symbol in the regeneration of a city with a rich but not always rosy history. It aims to promote both established and emerging artists and preform a social role within the arts community of the city.

Seliena Cloyle at CultureCraft

Derry native and contemporary jeweller Seliena Coyle curated the exhibition and it is safe to say that its outstanding success is a direct result of her passion and enthusiasm in the cause of promoting Irish craft and culture. Seliena's personal work is heavily involved with developing a new jewellery aesthetic that is sensitive to Irish heritage and cultural traditions. Asked about the exhibition she remarked that, 'People involved in craft will be surprised by this exhibition. Nothing of this standard in craft has ever happened before in the North West. It is going to be a real showcase for craft in Derry, and hopefully will inspire and create an environment where contemporary craft will be embedded in the city.'

The artists own cultural identities and backgrounds are as diverse as the materials they work with. Ranging from recent graduates to established professionals and educators in the fields of textiles, jewellery, glass, ceramics, felting, metalwork and mixed  media they are the crème de la crème of contemporary Irish craft-artists. CultureCraft aims to introduce the concept of craft as a vehicle for creative expression equal to the traditional 'fine arts' so both the artistic intention and the highly skilled craftsmanship are highlighted in the exhibition. 

Participating artists with the mayor of Derry

Here's a full list of participating artists: 

Glass work from Scott Benefield @CultureCraft

Tom Agnew, Neil Read, Alex Scott, Adam Frew, Peter Meanley, Gail Mahon, Peter Fulop (Glass) Scott Benefield, Caroline Madden, Peadar Lamb, Alva Gallagher, James Toal, Charlene McFarland Stuart Cairns, Rachel McKnight, Eily O Connell, Sabrina Meyns, Justyna Truchanowska, Cara Murphy, Angela O Kelly, Grainne Morton, Nigel Cheney, Helen McAllister,  Mary Cullen, Tara Ní Nuáillan, Liz Nilson, Caroline Schofield, Logan McLain, Brigitta Varadi, Liam Flynn, Joe Hogan, Richard Sinclair, Seliena Coyle, Deirdre O Callaghan, Suzanne Woods  

Nigel Cheeny's  printed and embroidered
tape measure @CultureCraft

It is often said that one of the reasons contemporary craft has a difficult time competing in the art market is the lack of critical and academic writing on the subject. Thankfully, the exhibition is contextualised by essays from a number of  leading academics, including Dr Audrey Whitty, Dr Jessica Hemmings, Dr Joseph McBrinn and Professor Declan McGonagle. Their essays will all feature in the CultureCraft catalogue, which will be available soon. 

Well done to all involved with this excellent exhibition and lets hope to see more like it soon.  

The project is sponsored by; Derry City Council, The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Craft NI, Crafts Council of Ireland, Creative Village Arts, Inner City Trust and The Culture Company.

Check out this exhibition: London Street Gallery opening times: Tuesday - Saturday; 11am-4pm until August 22nd. Free entry, all welcome! 

For further information about the exhibition please contact:

culturecraftinthecity@gmail.com

londonstreetgallery@gmail.com

Web-links:  

http://www.londonstreetgallery.org

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/CultureCraft/145233802309679?fref=

http://pinterest.com/seliena/culturecraft/

Written by: Meadhbh McIlgorm 

Shanghai in Cork

Yanyan Wong and Shihui Zhang are exchange students from the Shanghai University of Fine Art. They spent three months in spring practicing glass, ceramic and textiles at C.I.T Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork. After six weeks of dedicated work, the girls showcased some pieces in the recently renovated foyer area of the college. 

Everybody at the college was delighted to see an influx of new and interesting material, and also such a great volume of work after six weeks. The girls were so friendly and enthusiastic; they really made their mark on the students. Not only was their lunchtime showcase pleasing to the eye, there was a wonderful social element between the girls, the students and our tutor, Debbie Dawson. It was a pleasure to be present at what may be the first of many glass showcases in the college. The new Applied Art course is starting up next September, our little glass community in the college will hopefully blossom.

Yan’s work uses glass, ceramic and textile.  Her practice is about flowers floating on the River Lee. She discovered the idea when she was rowing on the River Lee on her first Saturday in Cork. A beautiful permutation occurred in this work where Yan was able to merge the primary materials of glass, ceramic and textiles. Combining these materials brings about a new understanding of these elements; weight, density, texture. The transparency and two dimensional qualities of the glass give way to the more solid and three dimensional qualities of the ceramic. A beginning; Yan certainly seems to be creating something exciting here. She is intuitive, a quality that I have heard students speaking of at the Shanghai Academy. However, this natural intuition is always accompanied by careful consideration of the process.      

Focusing on material properties, Yan has used hard and soft material together. She describes this piece as “a contradictory work”. It’s a delicate type of contradiction. The glass is etched and then, like a patchwork quilt she has very affectionately worked the fibers around each panel. This work is one that is much more poignant when seen in the flesh. Gorgeous meditative oranges and subtle hints from other palettes flow. The river is truly present here. The piece is a river itself and each panel is presented as moment from its surface. It is a mix between a traditional Chinese scroll, a patchwork quilt, and a stained glass panel. We can see a beautiful synthesis of antiquity, complemented by a subtle sense of inventiveness. 

Shihuis’ work is about shape. She states “The most simple shape of the world is round, square and triangle”. She uses the plane of shape and the plane of material to make three-dimensional effects. Her work, in contrast to Yan’s, is more design based. The very careful execution of this simple concept makes for an interesting consideration of form. One associates the work with the inner workings of the cosmos; shapes construct other shapes, which in turn construct other shapes and so on. This approach plays on micro and macro imagery. Exploring how we all exist in this world in a physical alliance. It speaks of symbiosis; it is organic yet can also place itself in the realms of something practical and mathematical. Shihui had worked on many ways of conveying this sense of shape. It is simplicity she admires the most. This has provided an excellent platform from which to continue her endeavors. I am excited to see her progression with the work once she has settled back in Shanghai.

The quality and quantity of the work after just six weeks was something that took our students by surprise. We have all heard of the Chinese work ethic, however the girls seemed to have this and also some another magic behind them. Their dedication to all materials under investigation is to their credit. They dealt with each element appropriately and appeared to have no discomfort in showcasing their works or experimenting. They are proud and genuinely interested in both the material and conceptual relationships between the maker, material and the other life that the work emanates after it is has been granted freedom in the artistic realm. The girls visit was something of an inspiration, they displayed a mystical sense of wonderment about them. They carry themselves with an honest, polite grace that can be seen through their work. It is this honesty and pursuit of the self that has certainly rubbed off on myself and a notable few that have been to Shanghai on exchange, but also those who shared our glass-workshop with them. I feel as though I have visited their culture, I have yet to discover in what way. 

Written by Róisín Foley, C.I.T CCAD Glass, R.E.P Glass Society of Ireland

NCAD end of show: Student Profiles

The final installment from NCAD's glass degree show 2013 and last but definitely not least Michelle Mc Dermott:

Michelle has a great interest in visual world around her, being particularly drawn to nature and organic forms. Her research takes her to many parks and gardens where she gathers this visual information, ready for manipulation in the studio. She says that ‘from a good image many ideas can flow’. Her interest in photography enables the production of these inspiring images.

The forms presented in the degree were a series of decorative panels developed from this study of organic objects. They have used multiple firing techniques and often encompass layers that give the flat panels a sense of dept. The shape used for the panels is a simple but effective leaf motif which provides a connection between their surface decoration and the form.

The result is a wall that looks like a magical plant climbing its way up to the light. The drawings are sensitive and the use of colour is minimal. The delicately of this approach creates an atmosphere which invites quite reflection.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Glass Society of Ireland to wish the new graduates all the best in future and we look forward to hearing about all your up and coming exhibitions – stay in touch!

written by Fiona Byrne

NCAD end of year show: Student Profiles

As promised talented graduate number two – Meadhbh McIlgorm

Meadhbh has recently been awarded the CCOI Future Makers Student Award and one of her pieces was selected for the RDS Craft Exhibition. Watch this space!

Meadhbh’s work is an installation made up of numerous ‘intangible’ objects. The delicate pieces are suspended within the space creating a refraction of light and casting thin shadows. These light and dark elements are as much a part of the work as the glass itself – they are the finishing touches.

In her own words Meadhbh is ‘attempting to capture both the tangible and intangible essence of cloud formations’. The beginning of this exploration was research into the manipulation of light. The changeable nature of light and the challenges involved in capturing some of its magic has been approached here with skill and consideration. The result is a piece of work which captures the fragility of glass. The wispy shapes look as if they would crumble if touched (although Meadhbh told me they were tougher than they looked!).

I asked a little about the process of making this work and Meadhbh explained how the forms are heated in a kiln, letting gravity act of the glass allowing an element of random formation. This seems an apt approach to the chaotic but beautiful objects which this process creates.

The pieces will be displayed in Sculpture in Context in September so if you missed this show stopper at the degree show you have been granted a second chance!

Written by Fiona Byrne