Memories of the past inspire crystalware in Edward Waring’s 'Instinctive Travels'

Crystalware has held great significance as status symbols and cherished heirlooms, often handed down through generations as precious gifts or wedding presents. These objects were deeply loved but remained habitually untouched, representing unfulfilled aspirations. Abandoned and forgotten in second-hand shops, these once-prized possessions mirror the shifts in society's tastes and values. However, an assemblage artist based in Sydney, Australia sees potential in these ornamental treasures, and transforms them into objects of vibrance.

At the Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert in Sydney, Edward Waring presents his latest art exhibition, which delves into the nostalgia of a time when crystalware held significance in most households. The gallery, established in 2019 by director Sally Dan-Cuthbert, has made a mark as an institution in Australia, representing a diverse range of local and international artists and designers. Its intergenerational program features captivating contemporary art and collectible design. As the gallery relays, "Edward Waring is drawn to found objects. He seeks them out in auction showrooms and on the cluttered shelves of charity shops, reassembling them into new forms which explore the history of sculpture, the role of memory, and our relationship to the materials that accumulate around us across our lifetimes."

Titled Instinctive Travels, Waring's sculptural art collection and subsequent art exhibition draws from the American hip-hop group, A Tribe Called Quest's 1990 album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm—Like the album, which used diverse samples to create a unique sound, Waring's studio practice also employs various found objects to create distinctive works. The collection presents a series of works called memory sticks, which investigate vintage crystal and glass art. Waring works in his 'crystal lab,' finding formal balance by combining dishes, ashtrays, and candle holders. He transforms the objects by hand-painting the volume of the vessels instead of the surface with acrylic paint, allowing light to play across the glass and infusing them with colour and warmth.

The collection Instinctive Travels evokes memories of the past and explores the intersection of personal, social, and cultural histories. Some pieces are named after song titles from the alternative indie artist Ryley Walker's album Course In Fable, and Moebius's comic books from his youth inspire the pastel and high-key palettes. The exhibition also features new works from Waring's collection named Champagne Tables built from stacked crystal. Unlike memory sticks, these tables remain transparent and serve as support rather than leading pieces.

While each piece holds its charm, the collective work leaves an awe-inspiring impact. The Australian artist has artfully grouped six crystal pieces called A Lenticular Slap and four crystal pieces named Goodnight Ladies as friendly companions. Each piece is named after women from an earlier era, reminiscing about the friends of Waring's mother during their lively drinking and partying held heyday. "As more unusual glass pieces began to assert their potential amongst the clusters of crystal clones on Waring’s studio shelves, these compositions have evolved into stacked totemic forms which travel across the sculptural landscape from ancient cultural objects, through to modernist sculpture, through to a contemporary artistic context. In their echoing of the human form and their suggestions of the organic within the man-made, they become more than the sum of their parts, conjuring new resonance," the art gallery shares in a press statement.

The colours within this collection harmoniously interact, resembling a lively gathering of friends, with each piece retaining its individuality in tandem with sharing a sense of connection with the others. Using vintage crystal and glass, Waring skilfully crafts vibrant assemblages that captivate with their energy and whimsical persona. Through his art, the assemblage artist pays homage to the resilient women who shaped his generation, celebrating their remarkable and untold stories, which are often overlooked or forgotten. "The melancholy contained within these relics from a fading way of life, makes way for a warmer nostalgia, in which they are literally filled with colour and brought to life. Once upended, functionality gives way to form, and the viewer is drawn to the details, where transparent ubiquity had previously rendered them with a sameness," they elaborate.

Waring's art has earned a place in significant private collections worldwide and has been showcased in esteemed public collections like The Powerhouse Museum and The Art Gallery of New South Wales. Additionally, he has been recognised as a finalist in prestigious prizes and exhibitions, including the Reimagine Art Prize and the Woollahra Small Sculpture Art Prize.

Waring transforms ordinary and unremarkable materials through his creative iterations into striking pieces that evoke the past, present, and future. The exhibition celebrates the beauty and resonance of found objects, inviting viewers to reflect on their memories and connections to the materials surrounding them throughout their lives.

Edward Waring's 'Instinctive Travels' is on display from July 14 - August 13, 2023, at the Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert in Sydney, Australia.

(Text by Irene Joseph, intern at STIR)