A new acquisition from Ben Sablerolle

A while since I last posted, but my acquisitions have continued. A recent purchase from TradeMe is this wonderful example of Ben Sablerolle's 'piano keyboard' roll-up platters. After completing his glass studies at Unicol Whanganui in 2001-02, Ben set up a studio in his backyard with colleague Kerry McDonnell, producing both slumped and roll-up glass. I haven't been able to buy a piece of Ben's before, so I was very pleased to add this piece, which was made in 2004.

“Who Was Who in New Zealand Glass”

I'm preparing a talk for the Mazda Artworks seminar series, held in conjunction with the 2007 exhibition and art events organised as a charity fundraiser by Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary club.

It's on Thursday 30 August at 2.30 pm in the Hilton Auckland, on Princes Wharf. I'll be describing the work of New Zealand’s first glass artists from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

You can see details at http://www.mazdaartworks.co.nz/artspeak_schedule.php

Emma Camden at Avid

On a visit to Wellington this week, I was pleased to be able to see the last few days of Emma Camden's exhibition ...something remaining... at Avid (see www.avidgallery.co.nz). Emma's major works are her explorations of architectural forms, and there are three magnificent examples in this show. But she also expresses aspects of her life and daily experiences through smaller glass pieces, of which I now have a couple. I was pleased to be able to acquire one of the "Charms" in this show, pieces based on the elements of a charm bracelet that belonged to Emma's mother.


This is the one I bought, 'Fading memory', in a pale yellow cast glass

Tony Kuepfer's Tall Bottles

Tall bottles with thin necks are a distinctive part of the glass art of Tony Kuepfer. My first purchase of a piece of NZ glass secondhand was a tall bottle labelled as being by Tony Kuepfer. I had never seen anything like it before. But then I began to see others, until I had quite a few – thirty at last count. Tony says he might have made about 250, so I haven’t quite cornered the market, yet. Because they are so distinctive, I can now spot them a mile away. Tony made these over much of the time he was at Inglewood, at least between 1979 and 1986.

When the 25 year old American glassblower arrived with his Kiwi wife in 1973, there was no tradition of studio hot glass in New Zealand. They went to Taranaki in March 1974 - some friends had mentioned the old church at Inglewood – and set up a studio, gallery and residence. Tony made his first hot glass in NZ in 1975.

At Inglewood, he taught others, laying the foundation for New Zealand's hot glass movement. His studio continued at Inglewood for nearly 15 years, and provided many New Zealanders with their first chance to buy studio glass and to see it being made. Tony was a true pioneer, who inspired, taught and stimulated many later glass artists, and who first began educating New Zealanders to buy glass as art. His influence continued through his teaching in Whanganui, and through his ongoing involvement in glass. Tony still makes glass occasionally. He plans to build a kiln and get started again soon. Maybe there’ll be more tall bottles.

I have been pleased to lend some of my Kuepfer tall bottles for exhibitions at Te Papa (2004-5), Objectspace (2006) and The New Dowse 2007. You may have seen them there.

Reg Kempton, New Zealand's First Glass Artist?

Arguably our first studio glass artist was Reg Kempton (1897 - 1987), an English glassmaker who began work in the family glass factory in London as a boy of 15 in 1913. Reg’s story is a fascinating one, though I can only present an outline here. He certainly deserves greater recognition than he has yet received – as far as I know there is not a single piece of his work in any public collection in New Zealand, though I am pleased to have several.

After World War II, Reg decided there was no future in England and so he moved to live for a while in Australia, and then set up a diesel fired furnace and coke fired lehr in a studio at Havelock in the Marlborough Sounds in 1963. His wife Ellen delighted in playing “punty boy” to his “gaffer”. In fact, according to their friends, she did a great deal of the “donkey work”, including the hand labelling of the pieces which she came to insist was an essential marketing tool. His earlier work is not marked at all.

Reg’s kiln and studio was built in a lean to behind his house in rural Marlborough. Although the house remains, no trace of the kiln now survives there. Reg Kempton died in Thames in 1987, aged 90.

I first saw pieces in collections owned by his neighbours, then found some in Blenheim second hand shops. Now I am confident I can recognise them even on TradeMe - I have bought several there, and identified pieces for others.

Tony Kuepfer sculpture - a major acquisition

I've been really pleased to be able to buy a major sculpture, made by Tony Kuepfer in 1983. Tony exhibited at the Canterbury Society of Arts, and decided to create a show of figure sculptures - 'I surprised them in Christchurch that year when there were 16 of these and not a goblet in sight', he has told me. One of these pieces, 'Violetta' was purchased by the then McDougall Art Gallery in Christchurch - you can see it at http://www.christchurchartgallery.org.nz/Collection/Articles/Glass/

'Violetta' has 'legs' a third piece below the body, while 'Grandmother' is compete with just body and head. She is 50cm high, and 30cm square at the base.

A dealer in Hawkes Bay contacted me, seeking an identification and valuation of the piece. Email negotiations, including Tony's confirmation of the ID and comments on price, lead to the acceptance of an offer, and Grandmother's safe journey North.

I'd love to learn the whereabouts of any others of the original 16.

Collecting NZ glass

I began collecting New Zealand glass after I relocated to Auckland from Dunedin in 1979. There was no art glass being made in Dunedin then, so seeing art glass made in New Zealand was a real thrill. I still have all eight of the ruby stemmed wine glasses made by Garry Nash that I bought in John Abbott's shop 'The Kiln' in Parnell Rd in 1980.