The work of 59 glass artists from around New Zealand is on display at the Sarjeant's gallery above the i-Site in Taupō Quay. Photo / Supplied
A wonderful exhibition of glass works at the Sarjeant’s i-Site gallery showcases the variety and talent of 59 glass artists from around New Zealand until January 29.
The New Zealand Society of Artists in Glass (NZSAG), in collaboration with New Zealand Glassworks and the Sarjeant Gallery, mounted the exhibition of emerging and established members’ work as part of the International Year of Glass 2022.
Three judges - Justine Olsen, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa curator of decorative art and design; Grace Lai, Tamaki Paenga Auckland War Memorial Museum curator of applied arts and design; and Greg Donson, Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua curator and public programmes manager - evaluated the works and made three awards.
Mike Crawford won the Lazelle Supreme Award with Kāhu, cast glass; Vicki Fanning the Innovation Award with fairgroundunicorn, Glass Crown, flame-worked glass and silicon, and Lisa Bate the Merit Award with The Pack IV cast glass.
Crawford’s Kāhu (swamp harrier) demonstrated “a beautiful mastery of form and composition … simple lines that captured the majestic nature of the bird”, Lai said, while Lisa Bate’s detailed casting of small dogs’ heads showed a high level of skill. Vicki Fanning’s innovative use of silicon and glass “looked lovely in the light and was surprisingly quite soft and malleable to touch”, Lai said.
Both external judges said they very much appreciated the opportunity to meet in person, work together and forge closer relationships for future collaboration.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with NZSAG, with Greg, with the Sarjeant, and with Grace Lai. These are very, very special experiences. I really value them because this is the way that we absolutely have to connect with the arts sector,” Olsen said.
In her role at Te Papa, she supports the arts and design sector that includes glass, ceramics, furniture and jewellery, collecting objects regionally, nationally and internationally, and exhibiting, researching and publishing work. She and other Te Papa curators are currently working on a publication Flora. Olsen has selected some wonderful examples of glass from the collection – European and New Zealand - which illustrate the way plant life has been interpreted.
While in Whanganui she was impressed by the central location of the New Zealand Glassworks (NZG) which helped to highlight the importance of glass, and craftsmanship within the city.
“I love the fact that the studio is open to the public because there are a lot of people who would never have seen glass being blown before. You build an understanding of the collaborative process and the technical prowess involved.”
Her first experience of glass blowing was in the late 1980s at Sunbeam studio in Ponsonby, Auckland.
“I used to visit on a Saturday morning and watch glass artists Ann Robinson, Garry Nash and John Croucher. It was absolutely mesmerising watching the way the artists worked with hot glass in that workshop.”
She said she thought glass was in a challenging position at present in New Zealand due to the lack of tertiary training, so the support offered by NZG through an artist’s residency was particularly important, as was the work of NZSAG, its president Emma Camden, and Greg Donson at the Sarjeant Gallery.
“Emma has done an absolutely wonderful job at leading NZSAG as well as being a fulltime glass artist. Also, we’ve got a very strong relationship with the Sarjeant. I love what the gallery does. They’ve done a wonderful job over the last few years, ensuring the gallery’s visibility and connection with the community as the gallery is being rebuilt.”
Grace Lai, in her role as curator, is responsible for the development, exhibition and research of the applied arts and design collection. It has a regional and New Zealand makers’ focus, representative of the creative activity, innovation and identity of contemporary makers. As an archive, the collection also reflects Auckland’s multicultural society with a strong representation of arts from Asia.
“The NZSAG competition, being a member show, really highlights how important societies are for gathering like-minded people [who] can come together, share ideas, encourage each other and really push the art form. It elevates the visibility of glass. The nature of a lot of glass is that it’s clear - you look through it. So I thought it was lovely that it was so visible in Whanganui.”