canberra glassworks
IN DEPTH
JOANNA BONE
WITH AARON MICALLEF
9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
1 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone’s fascination with marine life began early, spending many hours of her English childhood buying
and collecting exotic seashells with her father, and many more hours imagining the exotic environments they
came from. This hobby quietly fostered a fascination for pattern and intricacy in these natural objects which was
reinvigorated when she moved to live in Queensland.
Joanna is a glass artist of extraordinary skill. Her works in this new touring exhibition, In Depth, provide a
microscopic view of the beauty and intricacies of these minute marine creatures often found deep within the
waving fronds of sea grass beds, which are very particular to the Moreton Bay region near where she lives. Urchins,
sand dollars and invertebrates such as cephalopods all provide rich inspiration for her works.
With the uncertainty of the effects of pollution, global warming and over-fishing these marine creatures are
susceptible to change in their conditions and although not in any immediate danger of disappearing, may become
endangered in the future. Joanna’s works are a beautiful reminder of this delicate balance.
Aaron Micallef has an established career in academia (Chemistry) and brings this knowledge, experience and a
touch of scientific methodology to his glass and photographic practice. In the laboratory, he encourages nanoscale building blocks to organize themselves in unusual crystalline materials. “Visualizing” the packing, pattern and
symmetry elements of the molecular building blocks helps Aaron understand and predict the properties of these
materials.
This preoccupation with pattern and symmetry also infuses Aaron’s art practice, and when it is applied in the
context of the biological world, it creates an obvious link to the mathematics and geometry embodied in the
anatomy of living organisms.
Aaron and Joanna’s shared aesthetic approach, revolving around pattern and symmetry, contributes to the success
of their working partnership. What started as a photographic documentation of Joanna’s work, has moved beyond
the pure recording of processes, with Aaron creating stunning imagery that captures and reinterprets Joanna’s
body of works in this exhibition. Through the dual lenses of the camera and his background in science, Aaron’s
exquisite imagery both complements and enhances Joanna’s works.
Jane Cush
Program Director, Canberra Glassworks
2 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone
Glass artist Joanna Bone and her father spent many hours of her English childhood
buying and collecting exotic seashells, and many more hours imagining the exotic
environments from which they hailed. The collection subconsciously fostered a
fascination for pattern and intricacy in natural objects – a fascination that has found
expression through Joanna’s glass practice. On moving to Australia in 2002, Joanna
found herself living alongside Queensland’s marine environment, the original home
of some of her beloved shells. The colours, textures and forms found in this new
environment have reinvigorated her interests in pattern, regularity and repetition.
Today, Joanna Bone is one of Queensland’s foremost glass artists. Her work is
internationally recognised and is held in prominent collections including the Australian
National Glass Collection (Wagga Wagga) and the Film Museum of Tehran, as well
as numerous private collections around the world. Joanna is the only Queenslandbased artist to have won the prestigious Ranamok Glass Prize for Australian and New
Zealand artists.
3 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone
White Sand Dollar
blown glass
10 x 35 x 35 cm
2014
$4492
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
Joanna Bone
Purple Sand Dollar
blown glass
7 x 38 x 38 cm
2014
$4492
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
4 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone
Porpita Porpita 1 (black)
blown glass
10 x 37 x 37 cm
2015
$5133
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
Joanna Bone
Pink Sand Dollar
blown glass
6 x 38 x 38 cm
2014
$4492
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
5 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone
Porpita Porpita 2 (black)
blown glass
8 x 40 x 40 cm
2015
$5775
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
Joanna Bone
Blue Sand Dollar
blown glass
8 x 39 x 39 cm
2014
$6417
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
6 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone
Pale Pink Sand Dollar
blown glass
7 x 49 x 49 cm
2015
$5500
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
Joanna Bone
Urchin
blown glass
16 x 18 x 18 cm
2015
$3850
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
7 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone
Tidal Relic
blown glass, cold worked
12 x 12 x 56 cm
2014
$6417
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
Joanna Bone
Invertebrate 1 (The Shoal) white
blown glass
68 x 20 x 10 cm
2015
$5775
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
8 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone
Joanna Bone
Invertebrate 2 (The Shoal) green
Invertebrate 3 (The Shoal) beige
blown glass
blown glass
63 x 20 x 10 cm
61 x 20 x 10 cm
2015
2015
$5133
$5133
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
9 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone
Joanna Bone
Untitled (teal)
Untitled (blue)
blown glass, cold worked
blown glass
54 x 18 x 13cm
55 x 15 x 10cm
2014
2014
$4107
$3850
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
10 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone
Joanna Bone
Seaweed 1
Seaweed 2
blown glass
blown glass
51 x 20 x 15cm
65 x 18 x 14cm
2014
2014
$4877
$4877
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
11 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone
Joanna Bone
Sea Grass Vessel 1 (green)
Sea Grass Vessel 2 (aubergine)
blown glass
blown glass
63 x 20 x 10cm
66 x 20 x 10 cm
2015
2015
$3850
$3850
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
12 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Joanna Bone
Joanna Bone
Sea Grass installation
Seed
blown glass
blown glass, cold worked
85 x 150 x 100 cm
10 x 70 x 17 cm
2014
2014
POA
$5833
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
Image: Aaron S. Micallef
13 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Aaron Micallef
Queensland born artist Aaron Micallef was introduced to hot glass in the UK nearly 20
years ago – an event that led to several years of “borrowing” studio time from friends
and acquaintances throughout Southern England and the West Midlands, whenever
possible. Returning to Australia resulted in a 10 year hiatus from hot glass which was
finally broken when Aaron refreshed his skills at the Canberra Glassworks and began
collaborating with glass artist Jo Bone.
Aaron’s glass practice is complemented by photography, reinterpreting glass through
the camera lens and capturing the subtleties of the diffusion, diffraction, reflection
and refraction of light through blown and cut glass. A recent work in this glass/
photography crossover was selected as a finalist in the 2016 Waterhouse Natural
Science Art Prize.
Aaron also has an established career in Chemistry academia and brings this
knowledge, experience and a touch of the scientific method to his arts practice.
Much of his “spare” time is devoted to Jugglers Art Space Inc. – a Brisbane-based
Artist Run Organisation supporting emerging artists – as a member of the Board, arts
administrator and workshop facilitator.
14 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Aaron Micallef
Aaron Micallef
Clypeasteroida albidus
Clypeasteroida coerulus
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
60 x 62 cm
60 x 62 cm
2015
2015
$750
$750
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
15 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Aaron Micallef
Aaron Micallef
Clypeasteroida fulminis
Clypeasteroida roseus
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
60 x 62 cm
60 x 62 cm
2016
2015
$750
$750
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
16 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Aaron Micallef
Clypeasteroida squamosus
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
60 x 62 cm
2015
$750
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
Aaron Micallef
Into the Void 1
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
38 x 51 cm
2015
$550
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
17 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Aaron Micallef
Aaron Micallef
Into the Void 2
Into the Void 3
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
38 x 51 cm
38 x 51 cm
2015
2015
$550
$550
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
18 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Aaron Micallef
Aaron Micallef
Into the Void 4
Into the Void 5
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
38 x 51 cm
38 x 51 cm
2015
2015
$550
$550
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
19 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Aaron Micallef
Aaron Micallef
Into the Void 6
Into the Void 7
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
giclee print on Canson Rag Photographique
38 x 51 cm
38 x 51 cm
2016
2016
$550
$550
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
subject glass courtesy of Jo Bone
20 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Exhibition partners
Joanna Bone would like to
acknowledge Arts Queensland for the
financial support of a Development
and Presentation grant.
Exhibition accomodation partner
21 | IN DEPTH | 9 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 15 JANUARY 2017
Wine partner
canberraglassworks.com
11 Wentworth Ave, Kingston ACT 2604
T 02 6260 7005
E [email protected]
opening hours
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