Geoffrey Wallace
Geoffrey Wallace Stained Glass
Stained glass maker
Caulfield South, Australia
Composing with light
- Geoffrey's original career was in stained glass window conservation
- He now works on commissions out of his Melbourne studio
- A central aspect of his approach is to build on the nature of light that a window receives
Geoffrey Wallace’s love story with glass started in 1974, after purchasing three old leadlight windows at an antique auction for a bargain price. "Their need of simple repairs introduced me to the craft of conservation," he explains. For 40 years Geoffrey spearheaded Australia’s largest stained glass conservation studio, with interventions on large heritage windows at significant sites, in his homeland and abroad. In 2018, he retired from climbing scaffolds for a living, focusing on the creation of new pieces at the work bench in his studio. With his conservation work Geoffrey celebrated the work of other makers, while thanks to his new work, he enjoys the freedom of employing different techniques to enhance and control the flow of light in new pieces.
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
My inspiration generally comes from portraying the religious message as faithfully as possible, while trying to introduce new and more contemporary symbolism. The available light and aspect are also seminal, as I am constantly trying to bring as much life to a window as possible.
My preferred commissions are for architectural glass utilising natural light, in the form of windows to the outside world. Many are for churches, and I enjoy interpreting the symbolism involved, as well as the opportunity to employ a wide variety of traditional techniques.
My work requires careful consideration of light, as it affects the choice and intensity of colours and the different surface treatments that are applied to the glass. This will determine the amount of light that will either pass through or be trapped inside the individual pieces of glass at different times of the day.
I undertook the conservation of all the windows for two Melbourne Gothic cathedrals, St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, and St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral. They are both very dear to me and I can say that I am familiar with every hidden passageway, stone staircase, and surface of the buildings!
