Exhibition throws light on the art of stained glass

Jun 9 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral of Chirst the King - night time _320

"WE HOPE to dispel any remaining notions that stained glass is an art-form of a bygone age," says Chris Bird-Jones, an exhibitor and organiser of Gathering Light, a major new exhibition of international contemporary glass now showing at the Metropolitan Cathedral.

The 19 exhibitors in the show come from across the globe., from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand and Japan, from the United States and Canada, and from Britain, France, Germany, Austria and Iceland. They are all professional artists whose individual styles reflect their range of cultures and backgrounds.

Ms Bird-Jones, who heads the architectural glass department at Swansea Metropolitan University said: "The show highlights artists who trained in traditional stained glass, but who are now interpreting this heritage using contemporary language." The work demonstrates the spectrum of artistic possibilities of contemporary decorative glass.

The exhibition stems from the Women’s International Glass Network formed 20 years ago.

A group of women artists working with glass from around the world convened for the first time for an exhibition, entitled 36 Women from 12 Countries, held in Germany.

It was at the opening of this exhibition they devised a plan to meet and exhibit biennially, to experience different places, cultures, and professional glass environments, which became the WIGN.

"The coincidence of Liverpool being European Capital of Culture in 2008 when the Women’s International Glass Network celebrates 20 years  is too great an opportunity to miss," said Ms Bird-Jones.

Among the artists on show at the cathedral, Cedar Prest is renowned for her pioneering work with native Australians, while Japanese artist, Sachiko Yamamoto, makes intricate, light-filtering constructions which contain innumerable tiny, light-reflecting glass pieces. Some, such as Catrin Jones and Amber Hiscott, both from Wales, work on a large scale, in public art for architecture, while Icelander Sigridur Asgeirdottir is fascinated by the colour black, which reflects the colour contrasts of her native landscape.

"It seems very fitting that this unique place of worship should be the venue," said Sister Anthony Wilson, exhibition co-ordinator at the cathedral.

"Four of the exhibitors, Helga Reay-Young, Cedar Prest, Doreen Balabanoff and Linda Lichtman, trained with Patrick Reyntiens, who realised John Piper’s designs for the Lantern here."

After Liverpool, the show moves to the International Centre for Stained Glass in France.

The exhibition was opened over the weekend by Patrick Reyntiens and runs until August 27.

vickyanderson@dailypost.co.uk