We are pleased to be starting our 2015 exhibition schedule with the 20th anniversary of the ‘Masters of Glass’ exhibition series held every January. Sabbia Gallery’s co-director Anna Grigson originally developed this series in 1996 when holding the position of curator at Sydney’s prestigious Quadrivium Gallery. This series was developed as a way to showcase the ground-breaking artwork being created by Australia and New Zealand’s glass artists. Over the last twenty years this exhibition has become one of this country’s most important annual surveys of contemporary studio glass.
Each year there is a different curatorial premise which allows the participating artists to experiment with their practice. In 2015 six Australian and New Zealand artists working in glass have been invited to create artwork that expresses their own personal interpretation of a specific colour. They have been given carte blanche to create new and innovative artwork that is sculptural or installation based.
The artists invited to exhibit are Galia Amsel (NZ), Christine Cathie (NZ), Matthew Curtis (AUS), Mel Douglas (AUS), Nick Mount (AUS) and Tom Rowney (AUS).
The colours are red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.
Colours hold significance for people all around the world. Not only do they influence emotion but they also hold meaning in various cultures.
Our personal and cultural associations affect our interpretation of colour, and our feelings about colour are often deeply personal and rooted in our own experiences.
Colours can have an amazing effect on our emotions. Colours can act upon the body as well as the mind. Colour can define the mood of a person; they can spark a memory, stimulate, excite, depress, tranquilize and create a feeling of warmth and coolness.
The psychological association of a colour is often more meaningful than the visual experience. Artists for many generations have long understood how to use colour as a powerful tool; to tell a story, influence mood, signal action or cause physiological reactions.
Anna Grigson, Curator, November 2014
