Wolfgang Mussgnug
“Essence and Spontaneity”

Wolfgang Mussgnug is a visiting glass artist from Nördlingen, which is the sister city to Wagga Wagga.

The exhibition of Mussgnug’s work shows glass objects and drawings taken from the series "Etuden" and "Freedom is a scary thing". The glass, hot worked by Mussgnug in the glassworks of Zanetti in Murano/Venice shows intense compositions achieved by sparingly employed means. The transparency of glass in interplay with the opaqueness of colour gives the objects an expression of timeless calm and harmony.
This exhibition of work by Wolfgang Mussgnug comes to the Veronica George Gallery from the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery.

A number of pieces will be available for purchase during the months of May and June at the Veronica George Gallery, 1082 High Street, Armadale.

“The use of silver, white gold, copper and yellow gold foils rolled onto the in layers of hot glass when blowing vessels emphasize the “surface” of the vessel I make. They contrast against each other in the central motif like a small print which is influenced by my many years of printmaking”
Brian is recognized as one of the foremost glass artists of Australia, having significant pieces in private and public collections, nationally and internationally.

In 2007 the Crafts Council of Australia awarded Brian the title “Master of Craft” for 30 years of significant work as a glass artist.

Adina Jozsef’s jewellery is contradictory and complex, classic yet edgy, exacting yet dynamic, hand-crafted yet precision-engineered. With sleek lines, superior materials and high polish punctuated by gemstones, quirky geometrical motifs and spots of bright colour, her work traverses a variety of settings.

Believing that superior craftsmanship has intrinsic worth, she has gained a deep, almost intuitive, understanding of metal. It is a material with hardness and resistance requiring physical effort to master. Her jewellery’s symmetrical shapes and high polish defy its handmade origins; and yet despite the surgical overtones it is comfortable and rewarding to wear.

With a background in theatre I find that handling hot glass is surprisingly similar to the stage; Spontaneity, improvisation and chance are all elements that I enjoy and exploit, both in the making and in the final installation.

Stimulated by the sculptural possibilities of human form and the organisation of musculature, I hope to create dialogue between the viscous and sinuous qualities of the glass medium.

My work alludes to the tenuous nature and fragility of human tissue, whilst also referring to its inherent strengths. It is similarities between glass and muscle, flesh and fluids of the body that inspires the making and installation of these forms.

“The Mountains of Utah and the forests of Slovakia were the catalyst for this body of work. I have pared down the bare winter trees to create strong organic shapes and superimposed them over the colours of the Australian landscape.”

Maria Leoni and Nicky Vonk, both originally from London, came together in early 2002 to form Leoni & Vonk – a custom made jewellery design studio. The last 2 years has seen their label grow from strength to strength with a large customer base, including a number of high profile clients.

These pieces are individually handcrafted in Melbourne, using quality materials sourced from around the world. Quality freshwater pearls, luxurious semi precious stones in opulent colours all finished in sterling silver, 9ct gold and leather form the basis of the collections. All these materials are worked in distinctive and unique style to create jewellery for the contemporary woman.