by Mark Eliott, on show at
Craft ACT 25 March - 22 May 2021
For more images of the opening night (with Dr McFoggarty, the sipping and sniffing of collected cloud essence, a perfumier, and artists) and all the works - photos click here
In creating some cast glass pieces for Mark (boats and mountains), I failed and tried again and eventually got there. I must admit I was relieved to hand over the last piece but on the opening night I was blown away and truly delighted with Mark's complete vision and story.
Craft ACT Media Release:
Essence of Cloud is an ambitious and multilayered exhibition which tells a whimsical historical tale about an imaginary cloud substance which produces elation, longevity and increased empathy. Acclaimed flameworker Mark Eliott invented this extraordinary narrative canvassing five centuries and seven countries inspired by the famous 17th century Spanish Trick Glass at the Corning Glass Museum in New York (the world’s largest glass museum). The exhibition features hand-made glass objects and mixed-media installations of wood, scent, animation, sound and found objects, displayed as museumlike artifacts. With glass workshops closing down during Covid, Mark’s exhibition had to be deferred to allow him time and facilities to make the work. This new and much anticipated exhibition is, literally, more than meets the eye as highly respected craft curator Grace Cochrane explains: “This extraordinary exhibition of flame-worked glass and other processes and materials, which crosses time and place, fantasy and reality, is underpinned by an equally extraordinary story of the research that went into it.”