Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, until 3 November 2007

Light In The North

REGRETTABLY this current exhibition on display at IMAG contains only a fraction of the work shown in the exhibition catalogue celebrating North Lands 10th anniversary as an international centre of excellence in the art of glass.

North Lands Creative Glass, located at Lybster on the east coast of Caithness, is a state of the art facility drawing glass artists, sculptors, architects, painters and designers from all over the world to participate in master classes, residencies and conferences.

The exchange of ideas between different artistic disciplines whilst exploring the art of glass is one of the most exciting aspects of North Lands’ programme. The centre is also an example of how specialist training in the arts combined with its inspirational location can be an asset to the region and an important site of international creative exchange.

The creative possibilities of glass as a material have expanded enormously in recent years to include sculpture, installation, conceptual work and architecture. Works by Marianne Buus, Phil Atrill, Karl Hawron, Loretta Lowman, Joel Philip Myers, Bettina Visentin, Richard Whitely, Bibi Smith, Kirstie Rae, Nick Wirdnam and Naoko Sato display a varied range of techniques as part of this exhibition from North Lands permanent collection.

There are some breathtaking examples exploring the unique qualities of glass as a material, its capacity for light refraction, density, colour and texture. There is also fluidity between ideas about craft and art evident in many of the pieces which explore ideas as well as the glassmaking process.

Marianne Buus has contributed a beautifully fluid, almost unstable looking piece, “Untitled”, which reminded me of watching glass being crafted, molten, billowing, solid and liquid at the same time. Two black ribbed vessels of irregular shape have a spun quality to them, a black ashen matt on the outside gleaming glass within like the heart of a kiln.

Karl Hawron’s “Vessel Artefact No 4” has the pearly opalescent appearance of natural shell and the look of fine porcelain. White and pale yellow with fused pieces around the rim, this work gives the simultaneous appearance of being created by a human hand through the bowl form and acted upon by nature in the surface treatment and coloration.

Another highlight was Richard Whitely’s “Untitled” rectangular piece with a rough edge, containing extraordinary density and intensity like the flattened lens of a giant eye. I would love to have seen light pass through this piece and to be able to view it at eye height.

Loretta Lowman’s “Sky, Sea, Earth” in three layers with a cast glass fish tail emerging from the top, contrasted frosted glass with the icy temperature of deep green ocean at its centre. The movement in this work together with the sensory experience of looking at it was unexpected.

Another work inspired by the sea is Phil Atrill’s “Man of War”, two pieces connected by a heavy rusted chain, the pod like stinging jellyfish form and a large crystal ball of glass forever tethered together. Traces of sand and rusted metal contrast with the pure translucence and water like consistency of the ball of glass, each playing off the other.

The ever present lack of space and light in two rooms designated as gallery space in IMAG means that only 11 works out of over 55 have been exhibited and not to their best advantage. All of the work is displayed at belly height on low white plinths with the only light source spotted from the ceiling.

Such display of important work by a centre such as North Lands is an embarrassment to Inverness as a city and source of consistent disappointment to anyone trying to view art work within this designated space.

A coat of paint and track lighting does not constitute significant refurbishment or a commitment to the gallery function at IMAG, nor does it reflect the importance and significance of creative work taking place all over the Highlands and Islands.

Continuing to display work in secondary spaces as after-thought does nothing to promote one of the region’s greatest assets. I fail to see why basic display equipment and techniques present in private galleries in the region are not afforded by our exhibitions unit.

Whilst plans for a new gallery/ museum are progressing the lack of attention to the gallery function during this transitional phase is cause for concern. This visible indifference to a high standard of public access to art is even more glaring in this focus year and in the presentation of international works from North Lands inspiring permanent collection.

© Georgina Coburn, 2007

Links

• North Lands Creative Glass