News Archive

Visual artist Glen Stewart may be experimenting with verdigris one day, then advising students about a Masters course the next.

While he would one day love to earn his living through his art, Glen says working in the post-graduate Admissions Centre helps to keep him balanced.

"It's really the perfect job for me," he said. "I began my PhD in art history in 2006 but I'm taking a break from study at the moment. When I talk to students about doing postgraduate study, I can talk to them with real, current experience."

Glen recently showed his fifth annual exhibition. It was a collection of works in ink, textured paint and egg tempera, designed to evoke an emotional response to colour and texture.

"I try something new every year, working with different media," he said.

He keeps his creative edge sharp by teaching art at the Fremantle Arts Centre on the weekends. "Sometimes it gets exhausting, working all week then teaching on the weekend, especially when I'm putting an exhibition together, but teaching forces me to keep trying new ideas for my students.  And often more new ideas come out of the classes."

He is currently running a drawing and music class, to get students to respond to music through their art.  He has a cellist in the classroom, playing music including Bach's cello suites. "Interestingly, some of the responses are universal," he said.

Glen worked with the same cellist in performance.  He created film images which were projected onto a wall, then reflected in a shallow pond, in which the cellist (from the School of Music) sat playing music that inspired and complemented the visual images.

"I like collaborating with artists in different areas, which is another reason I like working at UWA, where you can meet and work with so many different people," he said.

He studied Fine Art in the School of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Art, completing his degree in 2002. He has been working in administration at the University since 1999, including stints, both paid and voluntary, at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery.

His PhD (originally supervised by Ian McLean, who has now left UWA), is looking at historical techniques used in 17 ^th century art and architecture. "The art of that period provided a particularly sensory experience," he said. "And some of their techniques are still used in contemporary art."

In 2008, Glen spent two months in Italy, focusing on Baroque painting, as part of his research.

"I'm so lucky to work here because I am able to take leave to concentrate on my art when I need to," he said. "I work with a great bunch of people."

To see more of Glen's work please see: www.glenstewart.carbonmade.com