New Zealand born, Melbourne based glass artist Ruth Allen holds a MFA majoring in Glass and Sculpture from Monash University. Between 1996 and 2000 Ruth co-directed a hot glass studio and glass art business in Auckland called Gloria.
Ruth describes her practice..."my father was an avid sailor, I spent a lot of time on the ocean at the whim of weather and water, I like to believe that that experience gave me an inner understanding of what liquid is an how it moves - glass is a liquid.......What I love about working with glass is its demanding, its hot, you get addicted to the heat, you get addicted to that spontaneity, you get addicted to the speed - it's all of those things and it's also team work - it's a team sport."
From 2022
Portal Neck Pieces in Murrine Cane - 2022
The Portal neck pieces were born from an intimate relationship with material, process, aesthetic and the conceptual departure from earlier jewellery works.
The detail created in the (glass) murine cane draws the eye into the work in mesmerising fashion making these statement works tell a story of taste and glass history.
The tube encompasses breathe, inside/outside space and can be worn nestled within the natural curves of the body. A play with shape, scale, length of suspension delivers a broad scope for individual taste, body shape and personal attraction to colour and detail. The hand sewn, soft, silk sash nestles easily under any garment with no protruding fastening points, these neck pieces can be easily layered between dress and dress jacket.
Methodology:
The glass elements are blown by Ruth Allen in her Melbourne hot glass studio. Colours are chosen, layered and pulled into canes. These long lengths of glass are then cut and placed on the cross section in a tile form to expose intricate patterning.
The tile is heated in the hot shop, squeezed to fuse the pieces together and then rolled up on a blow pipe. Now the canes can be reheated and fused entirely as well as curved slightly to sit nicely on the body.
Once the forms have cooled slowly the shapes are cut, ground and polished using specialised cold working equipment. The surface has been carved in a scallop pattern on a lathe using diamond wheels, this is an Italian process called 'Battuto'.
The presentation sash is hand sewed tubes of silk.
Necklace - black & white glass Murrine cane, Battuto (carved) surface with gold crimson shimmering hand sewed silk sash $880
Necklace - blue & white glass Murrine cane, Battuto (carved) surface with light rainbow hand sewn silk sash. $990
Necklace - blue & white glass Murrine cane, Battuto (carved) surface with green blue shimmering hand sewn silk sash. $880
Necklace - red & pink glass Murrine cane, Battuto (carved) surface with orange pink shimmering hand sewn silk sash. $760
PORTAL
Born from an intimate relationship with the materiality, process, and aesthetics of glass blowing, the Portal range conceptually departs from earlier jewellery works. I am interested in minimising, streamlining, and simplifying individual parts to create a striking visual experience for the viewer, emphasizing the dynamic nature of glass and process.
The glass tubes are designed to encompass the concept of breath, inside/outside space and can be worn nestled within the natural curves of the body. The highly polished surfaces refract and distort light, allowing subtle illusions to form and depth to colour and patterning.
The neck pieces play with shape and scale, and the varying lengths of suspension allow subtle variations in each piece to form a story, delivering a broad scope for the viewer's/wearers individual taste, body shape and personal attraction to colour and detail.
When experiencing these works on the body, the wearer will discover the necklace has the capacity to absorb the colours of dress, scarf, or coat. The soft hand-dyed cloth sash nestles easily under any garment with no protruding fastenings, thus, these statement works can be easily layered between a dress or dress jacket, for example.
Portal Neck Piece in gold ruby with hand died red silk $550
Portal Neck Piece in jade with hand died green silk $550
Portal Neck Piece in apricot with tangerine silk $550
Portal Neck Piece in olive with hand died light rainbow silk $550
Loop di Hoop Earrings
Glass beads, reclaimed phono beads, sterling silver $145 a pair
Loop di Hoop Earrings. Glass beads, reclaimed phono beads, sterling silver $145 a pair
From 2021
Effervescence Neck Pieces
The Effervescence series was born from an intimate relationship with material, process, aesthetic and the conceptual departure from earlier jewellery works.
I am interested in minimising, streamlining and simplifying.
The bubble textured tube encompasses breathe, inside/outside space and can be worn nestled within the natural curves of the body.
A play with shape, scale, length of suspension delivers a broad scope for individual taste, body shape and personal attraction to detail.
[When experiencing these works on the body the wearer will note that the glass and captured bubbles will absorb light and colour. This quality allows the work to respond to daily changes of worn textiles such as the colour of dress, shirt or blouse. The crushed silk velvet loop suspending the glass element is soft on the skin and assimilates easily with daily/evening dress. The glass can be moved and re-positioned upon the velvet loop responding to the mood of the wearer and their choice in attire, making this piece extremely agile to the moment.]
Tubular Necklace Methodology
The Tubular Glass Necklace is first made by pulling a tube in the hot shop. The tube can be created as a clear or coloured tube and can be/or not be decorated with additional coloured cane stripes for detail.
To add the detail of coloured cane to the tube, further solid canes of colour are pulled, cut and picked up during the hot process surrounding the clear or coloured tube.
Once these aesthetic decisions are made and the tube pulled they are annealed or cooled down slowly to temper the glass for their second hot process.
At room temperature the tubes are cut into lengths and each end ground with edges bevelled, these are then picked up in the hot shop a second time and hot manipulated. The pieces are formed into subtle curves or fluid spirals, it takes a skilled and careful hand to carefully melt the tip and not close the tube. These are then annealed.
The tubes are heated for a third and final time on the flame working torch to beautifully round each end and complete the form. These are then annealed.
Finally, at room temperature the tubes are sandblasted to give a satin finish and allow the forms to absorb and emit light rather than reflect it. The 100% cotton chord has been hand-plaited by RUTH and a flame worked borosilicate toggle formed to complete the piece for safe fastening
Effervescent Neck Piece in bubble glass $490
Effervescent Neck Piece in bubble glass $490
Effervescent Neck Piece in bubble glass $490
Effervescent Neck Piece in clear glass $490
Effervescent Neck Piece in clear glass $490
Effervescent Neck Piece in clear glass $490
From 2020
The Tubular Necklace was born from an intimate relationship with material, process, aesthetic and the conceptual departure from earlier jewellery works. I am interested in minimising, streamlining and simplifying. The tube encompasses breathe, inside/outside space and can be worn nestled within the natural curves of the body. A play with shape, scale, length of suspension delivers a broad scope for individual taste, body shape and personal attraction to colour and detail. [When experiencing these works on the body the wearer will note that any predominantly clear necklace will absorb the colour of dress, scarf or coat; frosted glass has a beautiful capacity to absorb and emanate colours from it’s surroundings.]
The Tubular Glass Necklace is first made by pulling a tube in the hot shop. The tube can be created as a clear or coloured tube and can be/or not be decorated with additional coloured cane stripes for detail. To add the detail of coloured cane to the tube, further solid canes of colour are pulled, cut and picked up during the hot process surrounding the clear or coloured tube. Once these aesthetic decisions are made and the tube pulled they are annealed or cooled down slowly to temper the glass for their second hot process. At room temperature the tubes are cut into lengths and each end ground with edges bevelled, these are then picked up in the hot shop a second time and hot manipulated. The pieces are formed into subtle curves or fluid spirals, it takes a skilled and careful hand to carefully melt the tip and not close the tube. These are then annealed. The tubes are heated for a third and final time on the flameworking torch to beautifully round each end and complete the form. These are then annealed. Finally, at room temperature the tubes are sandblasted to give a satin finish and allow the forms to absorb and emit light rather than reflect it. The 100% cotton chord has been hand-plaited by Ruth and a flameworked borosilicate toggle formed to complete the piece for safe fastening.
Tubular Neck Piece in frosted clear glass, 8.7cm wide x 8.7cm high $290
Tubular Neck Piece in frosted red glass with white cane stripes, 10.5cm wide x 4cm high $290
Tubular Neck Piece in frosted clear glass with black cane stripes, 8cm wide x 7.5cm high, $290
Tubular Neck Piece in frosted blue glass, 9cm wide x 5.8cm high $290
From 2019
Matrix Series Neck Pieces
Matrix - definition: 'the cultural, social, or political environment in which something develops.'
The Matrix jewellery series is the natural evolution to previous signature works titled 'Synergetic Series'. The Synergetic sculptures are derived from the study of natural systems and influenced by the philosophies and design science of the most notable American architect, philosopher and mathematician, Buckminster Fuller.
Photo Credit: Fred Kroh
1 x Matrix in Silver Lilac $580
Mirrored glass beads, linen, 650mm x 15mm (variable)
1 x Matrix in Gun Metal $580
Mirrored glass beads, linen, 650mm x 15mm (variable)
Amulet Series
Amulet / An ornament or piece of jewellery thought to give protection against evil, danger or disease. Oxford Dictionary
I have been working with the manifestation of Amulets in glass since 2004. I hold strong spiritual and physical ties to my birth-land Aotearoa. I am excited by the serendipitous nature of hot glass, in this hot state I like to give the material as much freedom of expression as I can facilitate. I love carving glass dramatically and working with surface textures to refract and reflect light. In the end, I hope to create an object that holds power for those that wear it.
Materials & Methodology
The Amulets are made from crystal, this glass is normally used in the casting process, it has primarily been chosen because of it’s magical relationship with light, it is also coloured throughout and soft in nature allowing easier carving.
The crystal is pre-warmed in a kiln and then picked up on a blow pipe in the hot shop, the glass is blown and free formed into it’s rough shape.
Cooled down to room temperature the Amulet ‘blank’ is carved into a more defined form using a lathe, the glass may pass through two grades of diamond before being ready for the next process.
Now the Amulet is in it’s final form with a smooth surface the process moves to the smaller engraving lathe to work on the surface texture. Small diamond wheels are used to carve marks in the surface, this technique is inspired and developed from the traditional Venetian technique known as Battuto. I can choose from a number of wheels with different profiles in both stone and diamond all delivering very different effects upon the glass. It takes considerable time to work both the front and back of the Amulet, the surfaces will be checked over and over to see that no area has gone untouched.
Once satisfied with the result I hand rub the surface with fine emery to polish the high ground, the different surface textures and treatments become highlighted when seen under moving light.
To finish the work I plait a long chord from 100% waxed cotton, in my experience this thread is extremely strong and durable. I flame work my own toggle from boro-silicate glass and bind it into the chord.
Voila!
Pendant, glass. 8cm diameter x 1.9cm $580
Pendant, glass. 8.5cm diameter x 0.8cm $480
Pendant, glass. 8.5cm diameter x 1cm $480
Pendant, glass. 7cm diameter x 2.8cm $650
Pendant, glass. 7cm diameter x 1.8cm $650
Pendant, glass. 8cm diameter x 1.8cm $580
Pendant, glass. 7.5cm diameter x 1.5cm $580
Pendant, glass. 7.5 x 6 x 3cm $650
Photograpy by Fred Kroh. © All images copyright the artist
 Urchin Series
Urchin in Aubergine Glass, waxed cotton cord $480
Urchin in Clear Glass, waxed cotton cord $480
Urchin in Steel Blue Glass, waxed cotton cord $480
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