Tell me about your work on display in Generate ‘11
I’ve got two lines of work in Generate. I’ve got production work I’ve been making from time as an Associate here and some of my exhibition pieces are a little bit jazzed up; more special and high-end things. It’s nice to not have to worry about cost or how much time a project is taking.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My exhibition work and production work are pretty different. I think my production work is a lot lighter and can be a bit more playful, or I’m looking at the qualities the glass has, so I work in a more rational way. My exhibition work mostly comes from dream experiences that I’ve had. Some of them are quite scary [laughs]. Does the work look “scary”?
I guess I kind of tried to make them ugly, but I love the glass so much and when it looks beautiful I think ‘ahh it’s so beautiful’-I think they end up looking kind of half ugly and bloated and really nice at the same time. I don’t mind that because there’s a process going through the dreams and dredging out all of the dark bits and bringing them into the light, and the transparent quality of the glass reflects that as well. The colours are dark and murky but then there’s that transparent light quality coming through it too. I think it actually ties it in really nicely.
How did you originally come to Glass?
I’ve always loved art and was doing a lot of art at high school. I did a TAFE course in Applied Art and Design. I was thinking of doing illustration. I love drawing – I love kid’s books. I was at a Uni Open day in Melbourne at Monash; the glass studio is hidden away on the seventh floor. I saw people blowing glass and my jaw hit the floor and that was it. I thought ‘Oh my God, I have to learn to do that.’
Where would you like to see your work?I think my work does come from an art base- more craft than designer so I’m happy to stay with art galleries, and there’s a few in Australia. And I’d really like to have some international exposure, especially in Germany because that’s where I was born, so I’d especially like to be able to take some work there.
What’s next for you now that your two year JamFactory Associateship is finished?
I’m going to sleep [laughs]-Everyone laughs when I say that but I’m really serious. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do! I’m going back to Melbourne, where I’m from, for a couple of months. And for three months from April to July I’m going to Sydney to do a Mentorship with Ben Edols and Kathy Elliott. It’s really exciting. I’m really looking forward to that.
Generate '11 is the Annual Exhibition of Final Year Associates, and will show in GalleryOne at The JamFactory
from 10 December - 12 February.
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