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MEL DOUGLAS

Glass Artist, ACT, Australia

The simplicity of my work suggests stillness and silence, a meditation on the elements and concepts of light, space and time that I am inspired by.

Creating my work is integral to the reading of each piece. The slow process of construction and realisation manifests in the finished blown and engraved object. The engraved lines on the exterior surface create texture and contrast. Texture articulates the notion of time, reinforced by the empty spaces on the surfaces.

I aim to concentrate the viewer's attention on the proportion and linear relationships of the work. Each line is a unique mark influenced by the objects physical shape and surface; it is a contour, a stroke, an outline. The repetitious and time consuming method of mark making is not only a meditative process; in its very creation it describes a singular moment and a certain place.

Technical notes: I have begun to explore new forms using fused Bullseye glass (Bullseye is hand-rolled glass for architectural purposes). Over the past six months I have been working on new prototypes and have undertaken technical lessons, exploring glass in two dimensions rather then three.

Both casting and fusing are a very different way of working on form for me. The pace of kiln work is more reflective, allowing accumulative approaches and pauses in the creative process. Exploring kiln casting (casting and fusing) will be a challenging step forward with my work and will redefine my creative process.

For the past six years I have been primarily focusing on blown and engraved vessels that are plinth based. All vessels are blown using Gaffer glass. The surfaces are ground back, sandblasted and sanded with wet and dry paper, creating a contrast between the engraved line and the glass surface. Each mark is individually made using a dremel.

Influences: Escher, I admire and appreciate the way he played with architecture, perspective and impossible spaces - creating infinite spaces, images without an end.

Hans Coper, I often spend a lot of time looking at Hans Coper ceramic works although they are based on the vessel, they have strong sculptural elements.

Agnes Martin - By drawing fragile, tremulous lines across expanses of lightly applied, delicate, atmospheric color, her work seemed to become light and air. I appreciate her limited palette, subtle tonalities, and hand drawn lines.