seeing through the ages

also managed a visit to the 2008 British Glass Biennale, indisputably the highlight of the International Festival of Glass in Stourbridge. This was my first visit to the Ruskin Glass Centre, and, for that matter, Stourbridge (which is actually in Staffordshire). I had been completely oblivious to the town's glass making heritage.
I took away several interesting ideas, mainly to do with presentation, use of space and audience engagment. There were many pieces that I thought were excellent, both in terms of idea and of execution, although there were many that didn't float my boat. In a surreal double take, a piece by Robyn Smith made me suddely homesick, reminding me strongly of the curtains in my family dining room back in Brisbane.
The Festival finished two days ago, but the exhibition continues until 28 September, and is well worth a visit, even for glass sceptics.