The glass sculpture by David New-Small epitomizes the theme of balance in the latest exhibition at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery (GPAG).
His crystalline scales are asymmetrical; glass fruit, one gold, one silver, of varying weights are poised at either end in a state of perpetual balance.
Those who took a tour of the gallery with glass artisan Miyuki Shinkai were adamant that they were not going to touch this piece because it seemed delicate and breakable. Shinkai agreed, but explained that breakage is not new to glass artists who often work with shards or recycled materials.
Consider another piece on display — the light box in a cabinet frame by Robert Hanson in which many pieces of brightly coloured glass scraps are illuminated from behind.
Wayne Harjula shows his stamped, recycled drinking tumblers. They are simply repurposed bottles — shapely and durable.
Not all of the 21 artisans on display have made functional items. In fact, as Shinkai notes, they were asked to go for the creative, even though many of them are professionals accustomed to selling commercially.
Jan Benda, who usually sells his work through trade shows, branched out to create Happy Kettle, a sunny yellow kettle with steam rising in an array of glass spires.
In one section of the gallery, Benda’s elegant, sparkling work in clear glass contrasts with the nearby work of Rob Studer. His sandblasted, abstract piece appears to be a ribbon of glass unfurling. Studer takes creativity one step further by placing a mushroom from his garden inside a glass tube of water and sealing it. Titled Mycotopia, it continues to support life.
Shinkai’s own glass work can be seen in Thought Bubbles, a collection of globes perched on vessels. She shares show space with one of her mentors, New-Small, and his more traditional pieces.
Dyan Vidulich displays only one piece — a complex work of art titled Balance of Nature that depicts many images and scenes.
Laurie Beeman’s stained glass mosaic is also a work of great detail. Images of fish will likely swim under water if the large piece becomes a bird bath.
Aileen Reilly’s glass bead mobile is worth a second and a third look. The dancing wire holds up a tiny dog, cat, whale, owl and some imaginary creatures.
Shinkai’s first group glass show was in 2007 and again in 2009; the shows proved popular with the public.
“It gives glass artists an opportunity to show their work and have some three dimensional art in the gallery,” she said.
She gave credit to Susan Furze for helping prepare this show. Furze has some amazing pieces on display, including Chakra Balancing, a representation of the Buddha that casts a bright shadow on the white wall.
Another piece that manages to look good while hanging from a pitchfork is Chris Motloch’s puppet, with its glass head, hands and tiny feet.
The show also includes jewelry, starfish and several stained or etched glass pieces hanging in the window, each from a different artist demonstrating their distinctive styles.
Mary Louise Guest shows her mixed media, and Mardi Ahmed uses an unusual process in her dramatic piece that fascinates the viewer.
How did a painter get involved with this crowd? Todd Clark, a prolific and well known artist and teacher, decided to also demonstrate the theme of balance, and he has created many recent works in black and white, contrasting and complementing the colourful glass.
The show is on until Aug. 18. A good time to visit might be during the forthcoming Art Stroll in Gibson’s Landing on Aug. 9 and 10. This year 25 businesses and five galleries will take part. There are some great prize draws to be won, art demonstrations, music and local cuisine — plus events are free with the support of many sponsors. The GPAG, among other galleries, will be welcoming out of town visitors that weekend — outrigger contestants. Brochures will be available soon at the participating venues.
