Alasdair Gordon
Alasdair Gordon, High Country, 2010 (detail), hand blown, triple overlaid-opal colours inside cased, copper wheel engraved
Born in Scotland in 1931, Alasdair was already internationally regarded as a significant glass engraver when he was invited to Australia in 1979 for Western Australia's 150th Anniversary celebrations. Falling in love with Australia, he and his wife Rish decided to emigrate and now are considered amongst Australia's most eminent glass artists. In 2007 they were both nominated by FORM Australia as Living Treasures.
Alisdair has exhibited nationally and overseas, held engraving workshops, and his commissioned work includes many pieces for presentation to Royalty, public and corporate bodies. The Studio is involved almost exclusively with one-off art works. Alisdair now concentrates totally on wheel engraved cameo subjects, hoping that his work will help to sustain interest in this traditional skill.
Works by Alasdair Gordon on display in Glass Shadows at the National Art Glass Gallery, 2011
Left to Right: Alasdair Gordon, Peach Blossom, 2009 / Girl and Doves, 2008
How it all began: notes from Alasdair Gordon
"Holidaying in Edinburgh during the Second World War required the acquisition of temporary food ration cards. It transpired that the Ministry of Food offices was situated in Sculpture Hall at the Edinburgh College of Art, which had been commandeered for the duration of the war. I remember clearly standing with my father at the corner of the hall surveying a sea of desks, typewriters and office workers, and my father saying, "how would you like to come and study here?" About 10 years later, having completed my schooling and military service in the RAF I stood again in the same spot, now a first year student. At that time the Edinburgh College was the only college in the UK that had a glass department.
In the row in front of me sat twin sisters conversing in Swahili, Rish and Sheila. I was designing a menu, supposedly for a French restaurant, featuring a rooster; Rish cheekily said she liked my 'kuku', being Swahili for chook. Thus a conversation began which was to have long-term consequences!
When the creation of the Christmas Revels came along, the theme was 'Toot 'n come in' and the sculpture hall was transformed into an Egyption temple. In addition to being part of a group who created a 15 foot plaster sculpure of Queen Nefertiti's head, I volunteered to make a flickering flame for the high altar. This required a glass bearing which lead me, for the first time, into the glass design department. Never having been aware of the traditional art of glass engraving, I was captivated by the process and determined then and there to make glass the focus of my studies (unlike Rish who always saw glass engraving as her primary subject).
After graduation in 1957, with the help and encouragement of our teacher, Helen Monro Turner, we continued our studies and gained valuable experience at Hadelands Glassverk in Eastern Norway. Thereafter we were invited to establish our first engraving studio in Bergen, Western Norway in the autumn of 1958. Bergen was to be our home until 1973 when we returned to Scotland to establish an engraving studio with Strathearn Glass.
Tutankhamun has a lot to answer for!!!"
Alasdair Gordon, Winter Leaves, 2009 (detail)