Sabbia Galley is delighted to present Traveller, the solo exhibition of Giles Bettison, one of Australia’s premier artists working in glass. This exhibition has been an important journey for Bettison who continually strives to push his practice even further. Traveller also sees the departure of Bettison from our shores for the US later this year.
Over the last year or two I have been looking at and exploring the forms that I make. I am looking at different ways that shapes can become more animated. Last year I began carving into the surface of the shapes I made to create feet and fins on the forms. This is an area that I am experimenting with. I am finding different ways that opening up the surface can change the patterns as well as the forms.
Last year I was teaching in the US and met Conor McClellan and Megan Stelljes. They are both glass workers. Conor worked as a cold worker and teacher at the Glass Museum in Tacoma and Megan works as a teacher and glass worker at studios around the Tacoma and Seattle area. We had many discussions about ideas about form that I am exploring and the sculptural possibilities if we were to work together. We did work together briefly last year in the USA. In July this year Conor and Megan came to my studio and we have been collaborationg on some objects. This is a big departure for me and the way I am used to working. I can see some interesting and different approaches beginning to influence my own work. We are calling the collaboration GMC.
Giles Bettison, 2016
