Between science and art
- Hannah has a degree in geology
- She predominantly uses recycled glass and objects she has found
- She studied with masters such as Joseph Harrington, Max Jacquard, Jiyong Lee and Angela Thwaits
Whilst studying geology at Edinburgh University, Hannah Gibson became fascinated by the alchemy of glass but her passion evolved into true love when she took a course at the Edinburgh Stained Glass House. Passionate about sustainability and recycling, her first project was a stained glass window for the Georgian house she had just moved into.“Above the doors were fanlights,” and Hannah wanted to replace the “glass window with something more traditional.” In order to achieve this, she learned how to make the window herself. At first, she worked in the workshop built by her father for making stained glass windows. Over time it has been adapted to working fused glass, lampworking and today, Hannah works in a cast glass studio, equipped with more industrial machinery, she casts using mostly recycled glass.
INTERVIEW
My work sits at the intersection between science and art. With a background in geology and a passion for recycling, through my practice I am able to interweave the two, constantly pushing the boundaries of glass.
I am trying to make every part of my practice as sustainable as possible, using rainwater, business cards printed on recycled cotton t-shirts and of course recycled glass. I try and use increasingly challenging types of glass: television screens, car windscreens, mobile phone glass, glass bottles...
By keeping the shape the same, it means I can focus on the materiality and people can see beyond the shape and start questioning the material itself.
We have all seen the images of endless landfill sites and the effect they have on the environment and animal life. Through my work I want to open a dialogue about where glass comes from, the process it goes through and the potential for it to be infinitely recycled.
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