 Later this week, Netty Blair and I will have a two person show at Beaver Galleries in Canberra. We called the show "Held Within".
The two series of work that I built for the show explore the theme of "Held Within" through the role and relationship of the common shipping container to the lives and localities that it serves and affects. The first series of work is called the Trailer Series. The works from this series each have a small steel truck trailer chassis that supports a kilnformed, waterjet cut and fabricated glass box. The sides of each box have hand rendered images whose drawn contours are made to intercept each other. This alignment is made to mimic the collision and connection of the places (and their eventuating timelines) served by the movement and utilization of modern shipping methods. The second series is called the Compile Series. Each work in this series is built from a stack of small steel shipping containers forms. The compiled components of these works each form a place whose construction, development or deletion is dependent on the movement, utilization and impact of the modern shipping container.
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 I have recently returned from a fantastic and quick trip to the States. Besides attending a high school reunion and being amazingly able to see two of my siblings, I was also able to teach workshops at two great locations (Helios Kiln Glass Studio in Texas and Vitrum Studio in Maryland). Also in the mix were a whirlwind trip/tour of both the Bowling Green State University's glass workshop and the Washington Glass School. It was great to connect with all the old and new faces on the three week trip. Now, it is back to the center... Working on my research in our new studio...  This week I have had the rare pleasure of being included in two different newspaper articles on two different continents.
In Seattle, my small piece in the LINKS exhibition (currently at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, WA) was briefly mentioned in this Seattle Times article. Meanwhile, in my current hometown of Queanbeyan, I was included in some photos by the Queanbeyan Age accepting a 2013 QCC Regional Art Award. The award was not mine, but was given for my wife's award winning work in an art show that celebrated the 175th anniversary of the town.  I was recently informed that the rug that I designed for a show at the Beaver Galleries was featured in Belle magazine's International Issue (August/September 2013)! I am very grateful to Isabella Holding for organizing/producing the show, the Nepalese weavers for their work as well as Beaver Galleries for providing the opportunity! I have just completed five artworks that explore the complex construct of the common shipping container. Each work looks to address the origin/affect/ support/relationship of what the common shipping container carries between its origin and and its port of destination. I believe that there is a duality in this delivery. For what these containers can carry/support/build/extend they also include the ability to crush/deconstruct/limit the path of the receiving end. These works expose the available interiors of the containers that have within them the ability to hold the enduring impact of their journey...  I have just returned to the lucky country from the home of the brave and the opening festivities for the "Links" show at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington. You can check out the accompanied catalog here. This show is a collection of several Australian and American artists whose development is directly linked through their work and their specific locations. With this said, the included artists/works are merely a concentrated collection since the length of the links could be extended much further than the space could contain. For me, I have been lucky enough to have a single work included in the show through (I believe) my time in Portland and my direct interaction with Australian artists, the influence of Australian techniques on my work, my consistent time/travel to Australia, my relocation from the Pacific NW to Australia and the affect the move has had on my personal/professional development. Here is a couple images of my included piece...  In light of working... I have been working in many directions. I am currently "Phil-ling" in for the technical officer in the glass workshop at the Australian National University. As well, I have been continuing my pursuit of my research, doing some project management for some designer projects, work on the new studio, preparation for upcoming traveling and teaching engagements this summer and beginning to construct some new pieces. If you are interest in seeing the work, please check out the Beaver Galleries, Traver Gallery and the Blue Rain Gallery on their upcoming exhibitions. If you want to see me soon in Australia, just drop by the ANU Mon-Wed or by our new shop in Queanbeyan. If you want to catch up in America, please come to Klaus Moje's award ceremony in Seattle, the festivities at the Museum of Glass for the LINKS exhibition or between the bookshelves at Powell's Books on Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon on Sunday May 19th and most likely May 20th... Here is a few shots of my progress... Mel and I have acquired a new studio here in Australia!! It is exciting and feels like home. I must give thanks to her family for all of their help and care in helping us with this transition. It is a place full of potential...      "Slow Rise" by Karen Natapoff Late last year, I completed a commissioned Watertower work titled "Slow Rise" for a client in California. As with all commissions, I worked to incorporate the identity and ideas of the client into the resulting work. I feel that this method develops a collaborative construction that blends maker and receiver through form. I am happy to say that the final piece resonated with the client and was received happily. Much to my surprise, it seems that the journey is now the book! Needless to say, it is a sweet memento of the making and a first for me.    I have just returned from a whirlwind adventure to the UK, Northern Ireland, Ireland and France. In three of these four areas, I presented some lectures, small workshops and visited some of the major art programs that provide majors in glass.    My trip was fantastic and all the people I met were excellent.
I did notice that as I talked to many students, lecturers and practicing artists that it seemed to be much more difficult to build a thriving practice without the support, integration and connections of a wider community. In the talks that I gave on my own practice, I reflected on my good fortune to have always been able to construct my path within areas awash with artistic activity (such as Portland and Canberra) as well as quicken the pace of my development through my involvement with formalized organizations (such as GAS and the Pilchuck Glass School). I also focused on how I work to progress my path by first building a foundation of ability and access to support the structure and span of a career in art. I see this as developing the skills to build your way as well as the support to hold you in place. For me, I owe a lot to those who have educated and employed me and also those who are my friends and colleagues (especially Mel George). Here is a link to a write up by Fiona Byrne on the talk I gave at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. Now returning from this trip and back to focus, I am excited and energized to start back up on my PhD and all of the various projects circling the areas of my available free time. |
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