Katherine Gray at work in the studio.
GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet: What are you working on?
Katherine Gray: I’m currently working on a site-specific piece for the Glassworks in Canberra, Australia, in the fall. The actual space where this work will be shown is in the base of the smokestack of the building, a former power plant. The opportunity for this exhibition was very fortuitous because my work lately has been about very ephemeral phenomena such as smoke and foam so trying to translate that into glass seems appropriate.
GLASS: What artwork have you experienced recently that has moved you, and got you thinking about your own work?
Katherine: Recently, I was impressed with a show by Chris Natrop, who uses very modest materials such as cut paper and light to create these beautiful, otherworldly or underwater-feeling installations. I also just saw a show of new work by Tim Hawkinson who is perennially one of my favorite artists because he is supremely eclectic, engaging and you can take his work very seriously, or it can make you chuckle.
GLASS: Do you have any upcoming exhibitions where we might see your work?
Katherine: As I mentioned earlier, I’m currently at work on a piece for a show that opens in late September at the Canberra Glasshouse. There will be a video projection of billowing smoke that is reflected by a mirror onto these glass domes, which rest on thick white felt. There are a lot of cords in the glass that disturb the optics, and the glass forms mimic cartoon-ish renderings of smoke and/or oversized foam bubbles. The final installation may change a bit — I’m still in the process of sorting it out.