GAS Conference Venice 2018

“The island of Murano, Italy hosted the 47^th Annual Glass Art Society conference.  The Glass Path led attendees through the winding path of the island’s remarkable history while exploring the future of glass and discovering the hidden routes connecting the conference venues.  A selection of Murano’s glass factories and studios provided the Glass Art Society with the incredible opportunity to use these facilities as venues for the conference.”

Tom attended the GAS conference in Murano and presented a lecture, Cappricio Glass in Context, which focused on his post-graduate investigations on historical zoological glass forms and encounters with remarkable Renaissance glass designs including Giovanni Maggi’s Bichierografia, published in 1604 in Rome. Tom discussed how historical glassmaking relates to contemporary practice.

During this research, Tom has been recreating the sketched designs of trick glasses and also incorporating and referencing these forms in new artworks.

Tom also took part in a public glass blowing demonstration at the factory Fornace Mian, collaborating with other Australian glass artists, Nick Mount, Liam Fleming, Thom Pearson and Canadian Jaan Poldass, who was a past JamFactory associate and honorary Adelaidian.