Luminous: Tom Malone Prize 2016

LUMINOUS Tom Malone Prize 2016 Our annual showcase of contemporary Australian glass

Director’s introduction The Tom Malone Prize is one of the

contemporary Australian glass, and

Gallery’s most treasured projects and

reflect so well the high points of the field

definitely one of my personal favourites.

over the period of the Prize.

Since its establishment in 2003, it has This year’s Tom Malone Prize continues

been our key mode of engagement with

the high standard set by such past

the inspiring makers that comprise the glass community of Australia. Through

winners.

the

keep

works by Ruth Allen, Andrew Baldwin,

abreast of the developments in the

Gabriella Bisetto, Brian Corr, Kevin

field, an insight I always appreciate and

Gordon, Mark Eliott and Jack McGrath,

relish. I am also always impressed by the

Marc Leib, Jeremy Lepisto, Jessica

creativity and commitment I see among

Loughlin, Kumiko Nakajima, Kirstie Rea,

Australian glass artists year after year.

Janice Vitkovsky, Zoe Woods and Jamie

shortlisting

process,

we

The

shortlist

comprises

Worsley. Their work ranges from the In

addition,

of

course,

being

an

vessel form, to sculpture, to installations

acquisitive award the Gallery is in the

using video and sound, showing the

fortunate position to acquire works by

diversity of approaches at play in the

the very best artists in this medium: until

current Australian glass scene.

now, Clare Belfrage, Charles Butcher, Cobi Cockburn, Brian Corr, Mel Douglas,

Amongst this incredibly strong field,

Deirdre Feeney, Kevin Gordon, Jessica

the winner of the Tom Malone Prize

Loughlin, Tom Moore, Nick Mount, and

2016 is Gabriella Bisetto for her work

Benjamin Sewell. Works by these artists

Becoming. It is a captivating, powerful

represent the heart of our holdings of

and bold piece that I and fellow judges

2

Elizabeth Malone, Brian Parkes and

Director of the Jam Factory in Adelaide

Robert Cook instantly loved. I would like

who joined us on the judging panel this

to thank Gabriella for entering the Prize

year. His aesthetic acumen, enthusiasm

with such an ambitious work. I am so

and understanding of demands of art,

pleased it will be part of our Collection

design and craft in the composition

and am certain that it will soon become

of a great work, made judging both

a favourite of all of our visitors. Equally, I

enjoyable and illuminating.

would like to thank and congratulate all

Once again, I am proud of what we are

of our shortlisted artists this year; your

continuing to achieve with the Tom

work is of exceptional quality and has

Malone Prize. I hope you enjoy the works

already provided our public with much

as much as I do.

to marvel at.

Thanks are also, of course, due to our wonderful Art Gallery of Western Australia Elizabeth

Foundation Malone.

Benefactor,

Elizabeth

began

the Prize fourteen years ago and she has proven herself a constant and enthusiastic supporter of the Gallery and of glass artists around the country.

We are all so very appreciative of her generous support. I am also grateful

Stefano Carboni Director

for the assistance of Brian Parkes,

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Tom Malone Prize 2016 winner Gabriella Bisetto Becoming 2015

Judges’ comments: “Gabriella Bisetto’s Becoming is instantly, unavoidably compelling. A tangle of tubular curving forms held in a loose spherical formation, we recognise it as a brilliantly bold, ambitious statement in glass. A sculpture with real presence, it interacts with its surroundings wonderfully and, hovering above the floor, it casts shadows that multiply it in curious ways. It is a work that generates much wonder as, in the hands of such a master of her craft, heat transforms glass into fascinating shapes. What makes this work entirely successful is Bisetto’s attention to detail. Coming close to the piece, the viewer sees shifts in colour, as a slight greenish hue becomes evident; small spikes also become noticeable as protective protuberances from the tubular shapes that give the cluster an almost tender quality. Bisetto comments that this work is a hymn to death, decay and the new forms things become; however, these elements cohere into such a punchy and alive form that we couldn’t be happier with this year’s winner”.

Elizabeth Malone, Stefano Carboni, Brian Parkes and Robert Cook

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Ruth Allen Black beauty 2015 up-cycled Sambuca bottles (cut, hot manipulated, cold-worked and sandblasted), LED bulbs, black flex and copper ring 90 x 45 cm (glass) My studio in Melbourne collects bottles from bars, restaurants and cafes within the local community to later inflate, stretch and manipulate using traditional hot glass techniques. Black beauty is inspired by the classic notion of the Chandelier. The Sambuca bottle is tall, elegant and moody.

Aesthetic decisions are made in response to the contours, colour and form of the bottle. I enjoy participating in a sustainable movement and contributing to the creation of environments that spark people’s imaginations and challenge preconceived ideas of the world around them.

Photo: Eddy Khayat, Liquid Photography

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Andrew Baldwin Void 2015 (detail) blown glass 52 cm high Void was first conceived while staying on a remote farm in the Mallee district of South Australia – a beautiful and arid part of Australia that is characterised by small, drought tolerant Eucalyptus trees. For weeks at a time I lived without any human contact. During this period of solitude a space opened in my awareness. Void is an investigation of this sense of spaciousness.

Photo: Michael Haines

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Gabrielle Bisetto Becoming 2015 (detail) blown glass, fishing line, steel frame 100 x 100 cm (approx. size of glass shape) Becoming evolves from my abiding interest in the body and more recently the specific nature of death. The structure of my work was inspired by the beauty of the ubiquitous plant species Kali Tragus, common in the arid regions of Australia and especially the Hay Planes in South Australia which I frequently pass through.

Kali Tragus is a plant rarely admired or even noticed until it dies, when in its newly animated state it is commonly recognised as tumbleweed. More visible dead than alive its transitional state speaks to me about our own mortality and the perplexity of death.

Photo : Christopher Boha

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Brian Corr Sombra 2015 waterjet cut and kilnformed glass 80 x 80 x 5 cm Defined by light and shadow through the structuring of volume and void, Sombra suggests a beam of light unfolding through darkness. The work explores perceptual liminality as a means of facilitating contemplative experience, and seeks to embody a sense of the transcendent and the sublime.

Photo: Rob Little

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Mark Eliott and Jack McGrath Experiments in living glass #2 2015 flame worked borosilicate glass, projected animation, sound installation: 200 x 390 x 540 cm (approx.)

This collaborative work on the theme of evolving life forms is an animation generated by stop-motion photography of the development of clear glass objects in a still-life installation. The animation is projected through the objects, progressively bringing them to life through illumination and refractive patterns produced on the screen. Branching forms grow from a blip and heal after accidents that occurred during the course of their making. Life continues in bubbles and jellyfish forms which break loose to drift beyond the frame. Though abstract, this three dimensional filmic scape is a homage to life and is reminiscent of the deep ocean.

Photo: Mark Eliott and Jack McGrath

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Kevin Gordon Fractured light 2015 hand blown glass, double overlaid and doubl e incised cased colour, sandcarved, diamond wheel cut, hand fire and polish 35.5 x 26.0 x 26.0 cm This work is about the abstraction of fractured light that creates the tapestry of nature’s designs. In this design I continue to use the idea of repeating fractals simple elements that build up the design - and work with the qualities of glass to ensure the ever changing movement of colour and light.

Photo: Kevin Gordon

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Marc Leib Picking up the pieces 2015 (detail) kilnformed Bullseye glass, cold worked 20 x 46 x 30 cm Adapting principles from the Japanese art form Kintsugi, this vessel is inspired by events that have affected me personally.

Broken fragments are reassembled piece by piece, fused and formed, maintaining the identity of what once was. The delicate flaws reveal a story, honouring past memories that lay the foundation for new beginnings.

Photo: Marc Leib

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Jeremy Lepisto Built in layers 2015 (detail) kilnformed and cold worked glass with fabricated and powdercoated steel 56 x 81 x 9.5 cm The six separate sheets compile to create the image in the work Built in Layers, a hand rendered version of a historic photo.

The original photo was taken at the end of the Colburn sheet glass production line in my hometown of Toledo, Ohio, in 19161917. This short lived process of sheet glass manufacture was one of the important precursor methods of sheet glass production. The title of this work addresses the production of the sheets, with the image made from multiple sheets as well as the history made from the collection of a series of single moments.

Photo: Rob Little

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Jessica Loughlin light shadow iii 2015 kilnformed and cold worked glass, welded steel 135 x 70 x 30 (with base); glass without base 47 x 8 x 53 cm When all is reduced to white what do we see? light shadow iii is a vessel for perceiving subtle changes in light. In the morning it is a cool blue white and in the late afternoon it becomes a warm pink, the same colours as the transition of night closing in on day. Looking into the white glass your eyes become fine-tuned so that within white you can find a small sliver of pink reflection, here, then gone.

Photo: Grant Hancock

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Kumiko Nakajima Water colour 2015 kilnformed, cold worked glass three parts: 15.5 x 11 x 1.2 cm; 22 x 11 x 1.4 cm; 15 x 11 x 1.5 cm My work is inspired by an interest in form and colour and an exploration of line. I have a reductive approach to details and create simple elements which remind the viewer of their own memories. Through the use of shapes and colours I like to find the softness in the sharpness and to capture the moment when people feel something beautiful.

Photo: Grant Hancock

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Kirstie Rea The freedom of solitude – caught by the breeze 2015 glass, shelf, MDF box 70.0 x 25.0 x 30.0 cm This work explores solitude, longing and the desire to share being here with someone other than my shadow. Investigating these possibilities, I am interested in why I am drawn to certain places and feel the need to return to them, especially to places outside the city.

Capturing residues of sensation such as the feel of the breeze, the warmth of the day and transforming this into tangible form are at the core of this work. Memory’s presence is, at times, saturated with clarity and colour, and at other times, fading, fleeting or forgotten.

Photo: David Paterson

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Janice Vitkovsky Clear view 2015 murrine technique, fused and carved glass 36 x 54 x 6 cm My work is centred on the depiction of fluidity and motion through pattern in order to convey a sense of impermanence.

I am fascinated by the ways we perceive things and am interested in the gap between reality and illusion, drawing attention to the immersive nature involved in our perceptions. This new work focuses on notions of perspective, and aims to offer the observer multiple ways of viewing the object to provoke wonderment and inquiry.

Photo: Pippy Mount

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Zoe Woods Vortical pair 2015 (detail) blown glass, wheel cut 15 x 32 x 15 cm This work alludes to the fantastic and exotic world of marine nature. I am interested in exploring the intrinsic optical qualities of glass, with its ability to bend light, to stretch, magnify or reflect an abstracted image, and the feeling of wonder this can entice. Utilising grinding and polishing techniques I explore patterns, forms and textures that allude to the mysterious biosphere that inhabits the oceans. Windows into the work reveal a suspended world within the piece; an organic pattern reflected in an internal bubble. I hope that this work elicits the same feeling of wonder and discovery that we feel when exploring the alien territory of the ocean or of looking at nature through a microscopic lens.

Photo: Chris Woods

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Jamie Worsley The perpetuate puzzle, 2015 glass blown and cold worked glass 20 x 9 cm I am as complicated as the next person, an individual with many similarities to others, but through my experiences I have been shaped differently. There are millions just like me, each as valuable as the next, but none exactly like me in every way. My mind is always trying to fathom light and colour and the exquisite properties they produce together. The pieces are falling into place, my puzzle seems clearer now, a jigsaw takes time to put together, it takes patience, piece by piece - eventually the whole picture comes together.

Photo: Kevin Gordon

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LUMINOUS Tom Malone Prize 2016 Our annual showcase of contemporary Australian glass

Cover Ruth Allen Black beauty 2015 up-cycled Sambuca bottles (cut, hot manipulated, cold-worked and sandblasted), LED bulbs, black flex and copper ring 90 x 45 cm (glass)