Griffith Regional Gallery is proud to be hosting an exhibition from South Australia’s Jam Factory’s ICON series.
Jessica Loughlin is one of Australia’s most internationally acclaimed glass artists and is renowned for her highly innovative technical approach to kiln-formed glass.
Art Gallery Curator, Ray Wholohan says “A studio glass artist for over twenty-five years, Loughlin has dedicated her practice to the pursuit of capturing the transient qualities of light and the quiet sense of contemplation it provokes in the viewer.”
Loughlin takes her artistic cues from the vast, flat landscapes and salt lakes of South Australia. “To me, the Australian landscape is defined by its vast space and a sense of distance,” Loughlin says. “Being out in a vast space creates stillness and space within my mind, and it is portraying this stillness that has remained a constant aim within my work.”
The natural splendour of the salt lakes of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre and Lake Gairdner have long provided Loughlin with particular inspiration due to their infinitely immersive quality. Rarely filled with water, the minimalist landscapes of these remote salt lakes seemingly fuse land and sky as one infinite plain that completely immerses the viewer on a physical, emotional and spiritual level.
In her glass practice, Loughlin fuses kiln-formed sheets of both opaque and translucent glass together in flat panels or thin geometric freestanding pieces that allude to shadow, reflection and refraction. Her work is characterised by a restricted use of colour, with a gentle palette of soft muted hues and the motif of the mirage reoccurring frequently across her practice. Despite the reductive palette, however, Loughlin’s glass artworks contain a spectrum of colour and detail.
Made of opaline glass, Loughlin’s freestanding sculptures, for example, appear milky white until they reflect light and become blue or transmit light to reveal warm orange and pink tones.
To coincide with this significant exhibition there are a serval public programs including an opening event on Friday 26 April, from 6pm.
On Saturday 27 April, at 11am the artist, Jessica Loughlin, will host a floor talk explaining themes and principles in her exhibition accompanied by an audio-visual presentation and classical music. A light morning tea will be provided. Entry to both events is free.
JamFactory ICON Jessica Loughlin: of light will tour 13 venues nationally with support from the Australia Council’s Contemporary Touring Initiative.
The exhibition is accompanied by Jessica Loughlin: from here, a 183-page hard-cover monograph copublished by JamFactory and Wakefield Press, featuring essays by Julie Ewington and Tina Oldknow. JamFactory ICON Jessica Loughlin: of light was curated by JamFactory Curator and Exhibitions Manager Caitlin Eyre.
The exhibition runs from Saturday 27 April until Sunday 9 June