Artist Profile: Noel Hart

Blowing life into glass, Noel Hart transforms material into worlds of natural wonder. Aarushi Zarthoshtimanesh writes.

“Nature switches me on,” says artist Noel Hart. The symphony of colour flowing through his blown glass sculptural pieces conveys the deep inspiration he draws from nature. With more than 20 solo exhibitions under his belt, his artistic visions and ideas often cross-pollinate from one medium to the other as he employs painterly techniques to turn blown glass into a medium for colour and shape to dance together in abstract harmony. 

Hart works with a trusted team in a private glassblowing studio on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, and for him and his team, creativity is a seasonal process. As seasons change, new ideas grow and fade away within the glass, creating an ever-evolving experimental practice. For Hart, the core of his work can be traced back to natural history and the lineage of image making.

“We live near the extinct volcano Wollumbin/Mount Warning in Northern NSW,” says Hart. “I’ve found obsidian associated with Wollumbin in the bush nearby. We tried blowing it one time. I shouldn’t have been surprised by the results – we created a pile of pumice.” 

“As I’ve an interest in biological diversity and extinction,” he continues, “the metaphoric qualities of glass come into play.” Glass itself is a timeless material with a rich past and its versatility, archival possibilities and connection to the land all fascinate Hart. 

Currently conceiving new glass collages, his ongoing works tap into the correlations between the fragility of working with a medium like glass and the reality of extinction among our biodiversity. Through rich reds, ultramarine blues, magentas and parrot greens, the glass – usually passive and still – comes alive as he blows life into it.

Layering translucent and opaque hues helps Hart create a fluidity and wildness reminiscent of the natural world, in particular, the 350+ species of Parrots, including extinct species. Hoping to mimic the different embodiments of birds in the rainforest, the bodies of his sculptures are pinched, blown and stretched into shape. These details – translated through the artist’s wonder and awe at the irreplaceable landscapes around him – are also a call for the importance of nature conservation and consciousness. 

The fleeting ephemerality of our natural world is creatively translated through Hart’s craft. Its resonance lies not in an attempt to replicate that which can never be duplicated, but to present us with an environment of allure – one as fragile as his glass creations.

Featured Image: Noel Hart, installation view of blown glass sculptures.Courtesy: the artist.

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