To look at a vessel created by Giles Bettison, one might think it was created from fiber. Closer examination, however, reveals an intricate pattern in glass.
Bettison, a graduate of Australia's Canberra School of Art, is known for both artistic and technical innovation. While still a student, he applied an ancient Venetian glass-working technique – the fusing of bundled glass cane cut into patterned slices called murrine – to a new material: an American-made colored sheet glass. By using strips of sheet glass instead of cane, Bettison was able to achieve the appearance of woven textiles. He has applied this technique to a variety of forms, from traditional vessels to sculptural blocks mounted on steel.
Bettison has received a number of prestigious awards, including the Best New Talent award from UrbanGlass in New York (1999) and the Bavarian State Prize Gold Medal in Germany (2001). Bettison was also the recipient of the Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp prize for design from the Canberra School of Art (1996).
BULLSEYE AT FRIESEN featured artists are Kate Baker, Giles Bettison, Dante Marioni, Richard Parrish, Michael Rogers, and Cassandra Straubing. Gallery hours are 10:00AM to 6:00PM, Monday – Friday, 10AM to 5PM Saturday, 11:00AM - 4:00 PM Sunday, and always by appointment. Visit our website at: friesengallery.com Like us! on Facebook.
