A thought provoking exhibition of new glass opens at The Lakehouse Gallery in Takapuna next week. Timed to coincide with Valentines Day, Heart of Glass presents the response of four local artists to this contemporary ritual.
Heart of Glass is a collaboration between four Auckland artists, each responding to Valentines Day with questions about soul and society. This show of new glass opens on Tuesday 9th Feb at The Lakehouse Gallery in Takapuna and runs until the end of the month. It is open daily, and the artists will be available in the weekends to discuss their work. The exhibition, a partnership between Isla Osborne, Ingrid Carter, Frances Hanson and John Hanson, shows a diverse range of work, including lampworked jewellery, cast glass sculpture and fused drawings in glass.
Grey Lynn artist, Isla Osborne, presents a series of sketches in fused glass. She says “I returned to New Zealand after 10 years living and working in London, and have been struck by the sense of community here in Grey Lynn”. Her charming work is a comment on Valentines Day as a contemporary construction. With titles such as ‘Enough Stuff’ and ‘Who’s on the Box?’ she encourages viewers to question the commercialism that surrounds modern rituals.
Ingrid Carter, from Te Arai, melts glass to create wonderfully intricate beads that are made into exceptional jewellery. These miniature worlds are magical works of wearable art.
John and Frances Hanson are a husband and wife team based in the Eastern Bays. Although both work in glass, they use very different techniques to create their pieces. Frances is a lampworker and silversmith, using a torch to melt glass and make dramatic beads. As an art-jeweller, her pieces are unique and individual, with an emphasis on symbolic representation. In this show, the warmth of the heart is depicted in her lovely jewellery. Some people wear their heart on their sleeve, but these enchanting pieces mean you can wear your heart as a piece of jewellery.
John works with cast and fused glass on a larger scale and for this exhibition he has produced some very tactile works. ‘Broken Hearted’ invites the viewer to see it as either two parts or one, whilst ‘Home is where the Heart is’ is an evocative, multi-coloured fused glass installation.
Heart of Glass runs throughout February at The Lakehouse Gallery and Arts Centre, Fred Thomas Drive, Takapuna and is open from 10-4 daily. Please contact The Lake House for more information on: manager@lakehousearts.org.nz, ph: 486 4877 or view the website: www.lakehousearts.org.nz.
Heart of Glass
February 8-18
The Lakehouse Gallery