Wine - Luck Party

ABOUT DOMINIC

Dominic is a glass blower and writer. His work is influenced by his observations of the everyday world, nature, music, and the physical process of glass making and the other media he uses. His work frequently integrates artistic forms developed in glass with the written and spoken word. Building on his formal art training and practical experience as a glassblower, the auditory aspects of his work are influenced by a keen interest in music (he plays guitar and mandolin). Dominic is a published member of the British Haiku Society, bringing a fresh approach to this form in his writing, which additionally manifests itself in science fiction and fantasy. His empathetic approach to his subjects, combined with an ability to meet technical challenges in his imaginative, multi-media creations, helps explain his growing popularity and the range of exhibitions, commissions and performances to his credit.

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne (1974), Dominic gained practical experience as a glassblower primarily with Steven Newell and Catherine Hough (Newell Glass and Victoria Glass) as well as for Iestyn Davies at Blowzone. He realised his ambition for more formal education with the completion of his Master of Design at the Edinburgh College of Art in 2000. His graduation exhibit combined his love of words and glass to produce a series of five interlinked short stories collectively titled “Starlings”. He has been a member of the British Haiku Society since 2000, an interest reflected in his more recent work and since January 2003 became the editor of the Contemporary Glass Society Newsletter.

In 1999 Dominic exhibited a number of drawings along side his glasswork at the 18-30s Show at the Bath Lane Gallery in Newcastle. August 1999 saw him opening his first solo show, “Telling Stories”, an exhibition of glassware, short stories and drawings at the Crystal Glass Centre in Stourbridge. In 2001 Dominic collaborated with the engraver Amy Christie on the one off piece “Hands” and produced a major commission for the Inland Revenue titled “Stories From The Ministry”.

Dominic has served as a committee member of Cohesion: The North East Glass Cluster, and as the editor of the Contemporary Glass Society newsletter. In 2002 he created “Ten Green Bottles”, an exhibition based on one of his short stories, this used drawings by children as the basis for ten green bottles made by ten of Britain’s leading glass artists. He followed this in 2003 with “Haiku and Glass” in which he paired eleven glass artists with eleven members of the British Haiku Society. He is currently working in Singapore for Synergraphic design under the notable Australian artist B. Jane Cowie

Steven Newell on Dominic Fondé

“When Dominic first started working with me in the late 90’s he had already established an interest in glass as a material but his secret passion was writing. Scrolling away his prolific stories while at the same time struggling to express himself through the material of glass. It wasn’t until the marriage of this writing and the material that he found his voice. The focus of that voice is narrative. We have both chosen very different ways of examining the principles of story telling in relationship to our chosen material. We represent, perhaps the extremes; with Dominic dominating with words and I with image. The connection being that we both use the transparency of the material as the vehicle of expression”

Dominic Fondé
Artist/glassmaker

Born
26/03/1974

Contact
3, Farm Close High Usworth Washington Tyne and Wear NE37 1EG. 07950655507 www.dominicfonde.com

Current Position
Glassblower for Synergraphic PTE. Singapore

Art Education
Master of Design (specialising in blown glass) at The Edinburgh College of Art. Grad. 2001
B.A.Hons in Ceramics and Glass 2.1 at The Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education. 1993 to 1996
Foundation Studies in Art and Design at the Newcastle College of Art and Technology 1992-93

Selected Exhibitions
“Hotworks at Synergraphic” Dec. 2006 Artyfakt Gallery, Singapore.
2nd British Glass Biennale 2006 Ruskin Mill Stourbridge.
Featured artist at The Strathearn Gallery Feb - March 2006
The Chelsea Crafts Fair 2004 and 2005
Art in Action. Waterperry House, Oxon July 2005
Verbatim:The Art of Text, Byard Art, Cambridge June 2005
21st Century Glass. The Daniel Katz Gallery London Jan. 2005
British Glass, Glass Inspiration, Burgdorf Switzerland Nov 2004
British Glass Biennale 2004 Ruskin Mill Stourbridge
Haiku and Glass A series of collaborations between eleven glass artists and eleven poets. Curated by Dominic Fondé

 

June - Sept. 2003 The Bowes Museum
Oct to Dec. 2003 The Glass Art Gallery, London
Jan - Feb 2004 The World Of Glass, St. Helens
April - May 2004 The Customs House, South Shields
“Storylines” April 2003 The Scottish Gallery “9 x 9”The leather Market, Weston Street, London.
“Ten Green Bottles” Work by ten glass blowers, based on a short story by Dominic Fondé and drawings by primary school children. Curated by Dominic Fondé
March - May 2002 The Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead.
August - Sept. 2002 The National Glass Centre, Sunderland
Oct. 2002 The World of Glass, St. Helens
Nov. 2002 The Edinburgh College of Art
4th March 2004 Charity Auction in aid of POD at The Shipley Art Galley, Gateshead

Collections

The Pilkington Collection, The World of Glass, St. Helens
The Collection of Prof. Dan Klein and Alan Poole, London

Commissions
Zest Gallery, London. Six plates for wedding couples with engraved stories. May 2007
Brimingham Botanical Gardens and Green Houses. Redcliffe Foyer windows. 3. 1 meter tall windows engraved with plant images. Jan 2007
Charles Avison Society. Young persons music awards. 2007 and 2006

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