Hello glass artists! Thanks so much for reading this blog. I’ve been so thrilled with the response to it so far. I know that art glass is pretty niche theme for a blog in the grand scheme of things, but the glass community feels so big and is so rich when its participants communicate effectively to share skills and advice. There’s space for everyone; from complete beginners to seasoned practitioners, hobbyists and business owners, product creators and their users. You all have something to offer to the community and we can all learn from each other. I encourage everybody to share their questions, advice and celebration of glass on any and all platforms. As for my own contribution to the community, I’m hoping to encourage glass artists to be more reflective on their practice, helping you tap into your creativity and ultimately build your confidence in your process. So with that in mind, I’m happy to present my first interview. This is the first of what will hopefully be many conversations with glass artists, offering windows into the artistic and technical process of others among us.
This interview is with Rebecca Rowland-Chandler, a glass caster I discovered on Instagram earlier this year. I really love her glass and was drawn to her unique approach to construction and I had to find out more. She was very happy to chat about her work.
Maelstrom by Rebecca Rowland-Chandler
Catherine Dunstan: Your derive much of your inspiration from the natural world. What is it that draws you in?
Rebecca Rowland-Chandler: My main source of inspiration is the landscape because I view it as beautiful and awe-inspiring, with nothing bringing me more happiness than the wonder of nature. My sculptures allude to the landscape, rather than replicate it. It is a starting point for me, but not an aspect the audience must be aware of, I am happy for them to see what they will but I hope to evoke feelings in the viewer that are similar to mine when in nature. Creating something beautiful makes me happy, which is why I do what I do. When approaching the natural environment artistically I abstract it, drawing out colours, textures, and patterns how they can be altered and abstracted when perceived from an alternate perspective. Macro viewpoints can appear micro, some of my work features designs inspired by tracks caused by farm machinery but appears more like cells under a microscope. I translate these landscape markings into designs to incorporate into layers, exploring contrast between dense pattern, sparse designs, solid colour, transparency, and opacity.
CD: Has glass always been your main medium? Did you get into casting immediately, if not, what was your route?
R R-C: I was first introduced to kiln glass in 2014 on my art foundation course at City & Guilds of London Art School, but only dabbled with the material, experimenting with melting glass through wire frames as facilities were quite limited. Then, my medium of choice was painting, and I was considering taking a Fine Art degree, but realised that a “conceptual” pathway, which would naturally be pushed on a Fine Art course, was not one I was interested in. I have always been driven by aesthetics and was drawn to glass initially because of its beautiful material qualities - its transparency and fluidity. I took a risk, I had barely even practised sculpture before, and after my foundation course ended enrolled onto the Glass, Ceramics, Jewellery, Metalwork course at University for the Creative Arts Farnham. I specialised in glass in my second year, becoming absorbed by its light reflective qualities, and how I could experiment with “depth” and “the interior” of a piece. Hot glass did not appeal to me because it does not come naturally to my way of working. When glassblowing, you must be very quick and know exactly what you are going to do before you do it. I like to make my art slowly, not to plan too much and have new ideas as I go along, kiln glass allows you to do that.
CD: How did you develop your technique, and how do you go about designing a 3D object?
R R-C: I developed my technique using methods that are more typical of a 2D artist than 3D, which links back to my background of drawing and painting in which typical ‘design’ elements do not matter, suggesting why they do not come to me naturally. I use glass like it were paint, I create patterns with frit, fusing them onto sheets, meticulously arranging them into complex, organic designs. During casting, the layers pull apart distorting the designs, creating dripping and bleeding effects. I am not really a designer, I never design a 3D object. I use a cubic shape because it shows my interior patterns to best effect, polished surfaces to make them transparent, and I like its simplicity contrasted with the complexity of the inner composition. I do not create ‘design drawings’ with dimensions, nor make models or maquettes. I do not find them helpful as my forms are so simple they are unnecessary.
Yellowstone by Rebecca Rowland-Chandler
CD: You've recently exhibited at Cluster Crafts, what advice would you give to glass artists planning to submit to galleries for consideration?
R R-C: Really research your galleries well, do not waste your time contacting ones that do not represent work like what you create. I apply to a lot of open calls which is how most of my work has been exhibited rather than personally contacting a gallery. This is an easier way to get your work out there and then galleries might approach you as a result of viewing your work elsewhere.
CD: Now that you have completed your degree, what’s next?
R R-C: I am hoping this autumn to go back to Farnham on their Artists in Residence programme, which would enable me to create a far broader body of work. I would like to expand and diversify my product range in order for my glass to reach a wider audience, through galleries and craft markets. In July I am travelling to Iceland for a research trip, to collect information and to photograph the otherworldly landscape, in preparation for the residency. I spent the first few months of 2019 in the Maldives and Sri Lanka, also gaining inspiration for my new body of work.
You can see more of Rebecca’s work and follow her as she embarks on her new body of work via her website here.
Are you taking time to develop your own inspirations? Are you exploring ideas and translating them into designs for glass? Let me know in the comments below. It’s so useful to know how others work so you can better recognise your own methods of working and what approaches work for you.
Catherine Dunstan is a glass artist and teacher working predominantly with fused glass. She also has seven years’ experience producing glass courses with local and international artists, booking them to teach in the UK.
The Resources for Artists blog speaks mainly to those working with glass, but its content is also applicable to artists working in other mediums.
© Catherine Dunstan Glass 2019. All rights reserved.