Cambridge 7th to 9th September
article posted 26 Feb 2015
Inge Panneels (MDes) (BA Hons) is an artist and academic with an interest in
mapping as a visual language and construction methods of a sense of place and
how maps can be used as metaphors.
She is a part-time Senior Lecturer with specialism in kiln and architectural glass
techniques. Her research interest is based around the use of maps and mapping in
art in context of site-specific works.
Inge has over 15 years of experience as a freelance artist working to commission;
clients include British Telecom, NHS, Scottish Executive, Lloyds TSB. Her work
has been exhibited internationally and can be found in the Ebeltoft Glass Museum,
Museum of Liverpool and Belfius collection, Brussels.
Senior Lecturer, National Glass Centre, University of Sunderland, Liberty Way, Sunderland SR6 0GL
The role of glass has been fundamental to the development of science in the West and it
has been argued that it has been the use, and knowledge of glass - through access to
experienced glass makers in the West, which has lead to the hegemony of western
science, ultimately overtaking China whose scientific knowledge at the time far
exceeded the West. Glass makers could make the glass lenses
needed for microscopic
research and for subsequent telescopes
which lead to the groundbreaking discoveries
and understanding of the stars, the use of glass rod
as an accurate measuring stick for the
first OS maps, the use of glass as laboratory equipment
, the use of glass in communication
cables, and glass based materials of which the space shuttle was constructed.
In 2018, it will be the 50th anniversary of the first making of the film
Powers of Ten
and artist couple Ray and Charles Eames. This was ahead of its time in visualising the correlation
between the microscopic and the macroscopic (such as micro biology, quantum physics,
astronomy ...). It is also the anniversary of the first Moon landing in December 1968; an
exploration, which had huge cultural impact, captured in the 'apollonian' worldview,
embodied by the Blue Marble image. Light and glass were key factors in this.
Glass is of course also a great material through which to explore artistic ideas and as
such has been the material of material of choice for many art and science collaborations.
The case studies of various artists' work of will be used as a vehicle to demonstrate how
glass has been used effectively in an artist-scientist collaboration.