Harry Clarke, in Glasgow

In my recent trip to Europe, I visited Glasgow, Scotland. I used to live and work in Glasgow few years ago, and it was there that I specialised in art glass design and worked in great glass projects for the Verrier Glass Studio, including the creation of leadlight windows and the restoration of heritage stained glass in Glasgow.

Harry Clarke's stained glass "The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin", at Glasgow's Kelvingrove Museum, Scotland.

Harry Clarke’s stained glass “The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin”, at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum, Scotland.

Harry Clarke's stained glass window "Ascension", at St Stephen Cathedral in Brisbane, Queensland.

Harry Clarke’s stained glass window “Ascension”, at St Stephen Cathedral in Brisbane, Queensland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was to my great joy that a beautiful stained glass window by Irish artist Harry Clarke was on display at the Kelvingrove museum. Harry Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was a proficient stained glass artist and he created more than 130 windows which are characterised by rich colours (especially deep blues), fine drawings and the integration of the lead cames themselves into the design of the stained glass window (which remind the heavy lines in his black&white book illustrations). An example of Clarke’s stained glass windows is also in the St Stephen’s Catholic Cathedral in Brisbane (known as the “Ascension” or “Mayne” window, because in memory of Isaac and William Mayne). This window was commissioned to Clarke and imported from Ireland in the early part of the twentieth century (about 1923).

The window in Glasgow is titled “The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin” and, as the Brisbane’w window, it also was realised in 1923, as recorded along with Clarke’s signature in the bottom right corner of the rightmost panel (see image). The window is made up of 20 panels and was originally installed in the Convent Chapel in the Teacher Training College in Dowanhill Glasgow, Scotland, but has now been removed and is assembled into an exhibition frame in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum. The window was commissioned by Sister Mary of St Wilfrid of The Sisters of Notre Dame and Principal of the Teacher Training College.

Detail of the faces of the Virgin.

Detail of the faces of the Virgin.

Detail of two praying people.

Detail of two praying people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The window contains all the motifs that make Clarke’s work famous around the word: the deep blue colours of the Virgin’s dress, the delicate drawings of the faces of the people pictured in the window (see the details in the images above), and the inclusion of the lead as integral part of the design, for example dictating the flow of the Virgin’s dress and the drip of water in the central panel.

Detail from Harry Clarke's “The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin” at The Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow, Scotland.

Detail from Harry Clarke’s “The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin” at The Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow, Scotland.

Harry Clarke's signature on the window, with date.

Harry Clarke’s signature on the window, with date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glass Linocuts @ Glass Artists’ Gallery

I have been invited to realize a number of creations for the Glass Graphics exhibition at the Glebe’s Glass Artists’ Gallery, Australia’s foremost contemporary glass gallery. The exhibition featured artists working in glass who have developed print techniques as a main focus for ideas in their work.

Lemons - Glass Linocut

Lemons – Glass Linocut

Lemons - Linocut graphic

Lemons – Linocut Graphic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The exhibition featured my Glass Linocut creations: casted glass created from the same matrix used to print linocut graphics. The image above on the left shows the glass linocut Lemons, casted using grey transparent glass, and mounted on a Queensland cedar L frame, kindly realised by Gaetano Moschella. The image above on the right shows the graphics version of Lemons, which was printed from the same linocut matrix used to “print” on the glass.

Colourful Lemons - Glass Linocut

Colourful Lemons – Glass Linocut

Colourful Lemons (detail) - Glass Linocut

Colourful Lemons (detail) – Glass Linocut

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each glass piece is matched by a linocut graphic printed on paper (in a limited edition series); both the glass linocut and the linocut graphic are signed.
The glass linocuts were created in a technique I purposely developed for this exhibition and are one of a kind.

The glass linocut Colourful Lemons is a coloured version of the glass piece Lemons. It is also several centimeters smaller than the grey-glass cast, although it was “printed” using the same linocut matrix used to create the larger piece (and the traditional paper graphics). It took me long to develop this “shrinkage” – this technique allows me to reproduce a large linocut into smaller glass pieces. The Colourful Lemons sits into an elegant flame sheoak timber base purposely made by Gaetano (also this timber was sourced from Queensland).

Apples - Glass Linocut

Apples – Glass Linocut

Apples - Linocut graphic

Apples – Linocut Graphic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fruit Series - Linocut Graphics

The Fruit Series – Linocut Graphics, printed on paper and framed

Chinese Lantern - Glass Linocut

Chinese Lantern – Glass Linocut

Along with the glass linocuts inserted into the timber bases, I also created some glass linocut tiles or coasters (see the image below). These glass tiles were created with the same technique used for the pieces above, but only using part of the original linocut matrix.

Glass Linocuts Tiles

Glass Linocuts Tiles

Along with my creations, the Glass Graphics exhibition included work of Lee Howes, Jessica Mackney, Wayne Pearson, Lorry Wedding-Marchioro and others. All the Glass Linocut series, along with the matching linocut graphics, are currently exhibited at the Glass Artists’ Gallery in Glebe and are available for sale.