'Reflections: a Decade of North Lands Creative Glass' is reviewed on behalf of craftscotland by Caroline Ednie.

Reflections: A Decade of North Lands Creative Glass is a beautifully staged exhibition and one that also provides a rare oasis of calm, tucked away, as it is, within the secluded special exhibitions gallery on the third floor of the NMS.  Yet that’s not to suggest that the glass stars of the show are participating in a too tranquil or tame affair - far from it.  For scratch – or indeed blast or blow – beneath the surface of these exhibits, which represent the eventful first ten years in the life of the Caithness based North Lands, and what becomes apparent is a wildly varied cast of characters: at times exhilarating; sometimes controversial; and even unsettling on occasion.  But as an ensemble piece, it’s a fine achievement, even boundary pushing. 

Admittedly ‘boundary pushing’ has become such a glib and over-used turn of phrase these days that it is in danger of losing any meaning or ‘kapow!’ but to evade it within this context would be doing a huge disservice to such an eye-opener of an exhibition.  And what makes it all the more surprising, not to mention enjoyable, is that fact that it’s the medium of glass - so often associated with safe functionalism or simple decoration – that is being pushed into unexplored territories. 

But any of the masters and practitioners who have decanted to the rugged North East Coast and experienced or practiced at the North Lands School - and many of whom are exhibiting here - will readily admit that playing it safe has never been part of the North Lands tradition.  And it shows in pieces such as ‘Dress’, the frankly spooky white baby’s dress cast in glass and black painted wood by Karen Lamonte which recalls so many of the creepy taboo busting images by Czech film maker Jan Svankmayer, the so called ‘alchemist of the surreal’?  Similarly with Slovakian artist Zora Palova’s ‘Bridge’.  This is a bold and unsettling piece, its striated edges recalling a primitive weapon but its amber glass alluringly appeals like rich home made toffee?

Less enigmatic though equally disarming is Kate William’s kiln cast uranium glass model of ‘Dounreay’ appearing like a ghostly, luminescent, sickly yellow full stop at the end of a series of more aesthetically orientated, sensuous studies in glass.  Key amongst these are Lotte Thorsøe’s blown glass ‘Puffin’ which suggests pillow softness and Steve Klein and Tom Rowney’s ‘Untitled’ cased black over white glass bowl with swirling diagonal striped decoration which appears more like the finest porcelain objet d’art than a glass bowl.  It’s a daring juxtaposition but ultimately one that works. 

‘Untitled’ accounts for the identity of so many of the works on display, but instead of being confusing and irksome, in this case it only adds to the intrigue.  In any event it’s not hard to detect the influence of the Caithness landscape, not simply as a backdrop but in essence.  From Bernard Dejonghe’s cut glass Caithness farm houses and Bibi Smit’s blown, cold worked and cast glass composition based on the same theme, to Loretta Lowman’s ‘Sky, Sea, Earth’ cast glass fish and Gabie Kienle’s ‘Whale Tale’, the feel of the wind lashed fishing village of Lybster is never too far away.  Even the Caithness glass paperweight tradition receives a glancing nod – and a beautiful, subtle and gem-like one at that - in the shape of Alan Scott’s black glass paperweight featuring applied and lampworked clear glass figures. 

So often with compilation exhibitions of this its nature it’s a case of honing-in on the few stand out examples and politely forgetting about the rest.  In this case it’s trying to work out if there are any forgettable pieces in the mix at all.  So it is therefore a must to go along and commit this fine collection to memory. 

The exhibition is open at the Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF tel: 0131 247 4422  from 21 July 2006 to 7 January 2007. Open daily from 10am to 5pm.  Admission free.

Find out more about North Lands Creative Glass as founding director Dan Klein discusses its history and creative spirit.

Print Discuss