 |
| Richard Clements: 'Animal of Unknown Origin', 1998 |
I first bought a piece of Richard's in 1989, when I attended a museum conference in Hobart - I bought this small oil lamp at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
 |
| Richard Clements: Oil lamp 1989 |
On a visit to Melbourne in 1998, I went to see The Meat Market, an 1874 heritage building operated as an exhibition venue by the Crafts Association of Victoria (now part of Creative Victoria). I was immediately attracted by Richard's 'trophy head' of an 'Animal of Unknown Origin'. He has made quite a series of these over the years, but he tells me he found some customer resistance to the idea of a trophy head, so he stopped mounting them on a board. Mine is an early one, complete with headboard. I love its colourful quirky nature.
In May 2013, this small scent bottle, missing its stopper, was listed as a paperweight on the NZ auction site TradeMe.
It resembles the 1989 oil lamp, and the TradeMe listing helpfully noted that it had a R maker's mark. This is a reference to Richard's distinctive impressed mark, RC, where the R is enclosed by the C
That mark is also present on the base of the 1989 oil lamp, and on the neck of the 'unknown animal'.
In August 2010, another TradeMe listing caught my eye. The vendor said:
"Truly stunning piece of hand blown
glass by Tasmanian glass blower Richard Clements purchased in early 1990's. A true collector’s
piece. No stamp or signature on the item, however his work is very well
recognised."
 |
| Not in fact made by Richard Clements |
The vendor seemed so certain that I took this at face value, and happily added another 'Clements' to my collection. However, the downside of meeting an artist is that he can say 'I didn't make that'. Which is what Richard said when I showed him a photo of this unmarked yellow lamp.
Bother! If not Clements, then who made it? When I asked an Australian collector with whom I have exchanged information over the years, he suggested it looked like the work of Tina Cooper (http://www.tinacooper.com/). Having looked at her website and also listings on Australian eBay, I am sure he is right. Tina's Queensland studio was at Eumundi when she made this, though she has since moved to Palmwoods.
It just goes to show you can't always believe what a TradeMe vendor says.
Richard Clements was born in England, and served his apprenticeship to become a scientific glassblower, making the complicated glass equipment that research laboratories need. In 1970 he migrated to Sydney, and continued scientific glass-making there, but felt the need to broaden his horizons. With two colleagues who were also looking for something a little different, he formed a new business called Argyle Glass down at the Rocks in 1972. The trio set up a studio and started blowing glass in front of the public. It proved to be a very popular attraction, with people crowding in to watch the process. I recall visiting Argyle Glass during a trip to Sydney in 1974 - who knows, I may well have seen Richard then.
Richard worked at Argyle Glass eight hours a day, seven days a week for the first six months. After three years, Richard took a well earned holiday in Tasmania. There he discovered a little piece of paradise in Franklin, on Tasmania's southeast coast. He decided to sell his share of Argyle Glass, and relocate to Franklin, where he still lives and works today.
At CoLab 2019 in Whanganui, Ausglass awarded Richard Clements Honorary Lifetime Membership, in recognition of his long involvement in glass in Australia. Congratulations, Richard.
 |
| Whanganui Mayor Hamish McDouall presents his Honorary Lifetime Membership of Ausglass to Richard Clements |
