Glass – the cutting edge of visual art
by Emma Masters
While some see glass as an everyday material, glass enthusiasts the
world over see it as a substance of beauty and a medium offering endless
opportunities for creativity.
Adelaide was given a glimpse into a transparent world of light and colour last month when glass artists, critics and collectors came from near and far for the prestigious Glass Art Society annual international conference.
Staged for only the fourth time outside of America, GAS@Ausglass: Matters of Substance proved a resounding success, attracting more than 1,000 delegates and featuring more than 30 glass exhibitions in galleries across the city, along with lectures, workshops and demonstrations from some of the world’s best glass artists.
UniSA’s Head of Ceramic and Glass Workshop, Gabriella Bisetto, said the fact Adelaide was selected as the location for the 35th conference reflects the state’s unified glass community and its growing international reputation.
“Adelaide’s glass community is very cohesive. People are always amazed to see how much we work together and socialise,” Bisetto said.
“It also helped that UniSA’s glass studios and the Jam Factory are so close to one another, with a lot of smaller studios in close range, something very unique to Adelaide.”
South Australia has had a passionate love affair with glass, one that spans close to the 30-year duration of the nation’s relatively new glass movement. The Jam Factory, a highly reputed glass facility and gallery, was established by former premier, Don Dunstan, in the 1970s and UniSA’s glass department, another centre of excellence, was started in 1976 and officially established in 1982.
“The University supported the conference wholeheartedly, not only through sponsorship and by providing all its lecture theatres and facilities for free, but by freeing staff time so they could work on the event and exhibitions. And it has really paid off,” Bisetto said.
“All UniSA teaching staff exhibited and the students got amazing recognition.
“Our students have been inspired by the work they have seen, thrilled at having met and worked with some amazing artists and excited by having their work exposed to local and international audiences. So many people commented how amazed they were at the strength of our student and graduate work. It’s helped to put us more boldly on the map and it’s reaffirmed for the students that they’re in a world-class program.”
“Every glass artist, collector, gallery owner and critic was here – so they’ve seen every bit of work that is being made by people around Adelaide and Australia – we couldn’t be luckier.”