Imagine pouring your heart and soul into a single piece of art, spending hours wrestling with a fiery, unpredictable material. That's the reality for Australia's leading glassmakers, and their incredible dedication is on full display in the exhibition Glass Chrysalis II.
Isobel Waters, a South Australian artist, exemplifies this commitment. Working in a scorching hot shop (we're talking temperatures soaring to 650°C!), she'll dedicate an entire four-hour shift to shaping a single molten glass bubble using her blowpipe. It's intensely physical work, demanding both strength and precision. "It's a great practice of mindfulness," she explains. "You're hot, and you're grappling with this very challenging material, but it's really satisfying."
But here's where it gets controversial... Some might argue that such intense physical labor is unsustainable, raising questions about the long-term health and safety of glass artists. Is the artistic reward worth the physical toll?
On the other hand, Madeline Cardone, an ACT-based glassmaker, takes a different approach, working with a kiln rather than a hot shop. "It's a slow and meditative process where you're working on your own in the kiln," she says. "You're planning your compositions, putting the glass in, taping it on and walking away for a day. It's more drawn-out, but more introspective." Think of it like the difference between performing a live concert and composing a symphony – both require immense skill, but offer vastly different creative experiences.
Waters and Cardone are just two of the six talented artists featured in Glass Chrysalis II, a triennial exhibition at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery showcasing some of Australia's best young glassmakers. The exhibition highlights the diverse approaches and incredible artistry within the Australian glassmaking scene.
While Waters and Cardone found their passion for glass during their studies, Victorian artist Hamish Donaldson had a head start. He's a third-generation glassmaker, practically raised in a hot shop. He and his brother Calum are also part of the exhibition. As a kid, he earned pocket money doing odd jobs around the family's hot shop. And this is the part most people miss... It wasn't until he travelled through South America, captivated by the region's natural beauty and architectural marvels, that he truly felt the pull of his family's craft.
"Time and contemplation shifted a lot of things around," Donaldson recalls. "I had the spark to come back and take the opportunity to learn this craft. It's a unique material in its capacity, and it has such a broad function." He appreciates the way glassmaking challenges artists both physically and creatively. Donaldson aims to infuse his work with "a little bit of magic and surreal nature" through the use of vibrant colors, intricate engraving, and geometric patterns.
While glassblowing is perhaps the most recognizable and visually stunning technique, glassmakers employ a wide range of methods to transform their material into extraordinary forms. Waters, for example, utilizes an ancient technique called pâte de verre. This involves packing glass powder into a mold and firing it in a kiln, resulting in thought-provoking visual illusions. One piece from her exhibition series, The Mental Load, recreates a clothes horse, prompting viewers to contemplate the often-overlooked burden of unpaid domestic labor.
"I was trying to use glass to recreate domestic objects related to female parental labour and represent the fragility of this gendered role in child-rearing in Australia," she explains. "The illusion can draw people in to look at the work and its message that maybe the way that part of our society is structured is a little bit unhinged." Does her art challenge societal norms or simply reflect them? It's a question that sparks many debates.
Cardone, on the other hand, often favors black glass over vibrant colors. While she acknowledges the challenges of working with black glass, she finds it ideal for exploring themes related to her Italian heritage and her fascination with architectural theory. Her sculptural creations often resemble molten lava or the crumbling foundations of ancient buildings, rather than traditional glass vessels.
"A question I often get is: 'This doesn't look like glass; how did you make it?'," she says. "I make it to look like that, and I like to draw on unconventional ways of working with glass. Because it's monochromatic and abstract in form, I want people to interpret it in their own way." Cardone's work pushes the boundaries of what we consider "glass art," inviting viewers to engage with the material in new and unexpected ways.
Donaldson describes the Australian glassmaking community as "small and tight-knit." "We support each other as much as possible, and help each other make work. It's all very collaborative." Waters echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in her own artistic journey. She honed her skills by working as an assistant to other glassblowers, often performing physically demanding and repetitive tasks.
"Every win is multiplied by the number of people you're working with," she says. Even now, as a full-time glassmaker, Waters still enjoys assisting other artists whenever possible. "So much of the knowledge and skills we accumulate we get from other people teaching us," she explains. "It's not something you can learn from a book. You have to work alongside master artists." This apprenticeship model ensures the continuation of traditional techniques and fosters a sense of community within the field.
Despite their recognition as some of the best in their field, these young glassmakers remain driven by a desire to learn and grow. For Cardone, working with glass remains a constant source of surprise. "I use the same techniques but often get different results, which is something that I really enjoy," she says. She is excited to be "part of a new emergence of glass artists" and believes that each artist in the exhibition brings something fresh and unique to the table.
"It's really nice to be part of the contemporary conversation on glass," she says. "I feel a sense of accomplishment, but now I want to push it even further." Waters is motivated by the technical complexity and physical demands of glassmaking, which she sees as a lifelong pursuit of mastery.
"But that's probably never going to happen," she laughs. "I don't think anyone has fully mastered it yet." And perhaps that's the true beauty of glass art – the endless possibilities for experimentation and innovation.
Glass Chrysalis II is on display at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery until January 31.
What do you think about the blend of tradition and innovation in contemporary glass art? Does the physical intensity of glassmaking add to or detract from the artistic value? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
