ARTISTS TALKING

National Glass Centre, Sunderland 15 September – 4 November

Jane Mulfinger, Annie Cattrell and Jane Simpson – three artists bonded by a common desire to execute their ideas through the medium of glass – have created a visually varied show. Whilst united in their chosen material, each artist has explored vastly different processes: Mulfinger etches onto flat glass; Cattrell uses flameworked glass threads and; perhaps most diversely, Simpson has incorporated glass lustre and refrigeration techniques in her work. Whilst Simpson's use of refrigeration units in pieces such as Sewing Machine (Mormor) and Dripping Crystal creates an ever-changing visual quality in the work, Cattrell's sensuous resin forms hold the viewer in calm suspense.

Cattrell's contribution to the show culminates in Making Sense – a site-specific installation. Here, the flameworked matrix of glass rods weaves around a main structure – its scale as vast as its fragility. The intricate network of glass threads, viewed from changing perspectives as one walks around the work, emphasises the playful interaction between light and glass, creating an energy and movement reminiscent of brain impulses.

From a distance Jane Mulfinger's works appear as drawings on a wall, yet upon closer inspection reveal themselves to be merely shadows of something greater. Glass panels, upon which a series of architectural drawings are etched, stand proud of the wall. Again, light adds an extra dimension to the work, allowing the etched images to play in harmony with their own shadow.

This exhibition illustrates the diversity of glass. In its various forms and available techniques, an array of opportunities emerges for us to show glass in its full glory. Here we see glass going beyond the familiar and respected domain of studio glass. The works may raise eyebrows and pose questions, but one thing's for sure; all is 'Not What It Seems'.

Kirsteen Aubrey

KIRSTEEN AUBREY
Glass Lecturer, University of Sunderland.