The art of glass - ANU School of Art alumnus John White

ANU School of Art alumnus John White, BVA ‘12 has dabbled in many different careers. In the 1980s he was an apprentice at the defunct Canberry Fair amusement park before moving to a Fyshwick business to cabinet-making. Along with his wife Ruth, he has also started up their own alpaca farm before moving back to Canberra to study at the ANU School of Art. White’s career took another turn earlier this year when he began a residency at the Canberra Glassworks. "The artist in residency program has given me the chance to sit back, talk to some fantastic people outside in the real world, work on some ideas and chase those things I was thinking about", White says. White is an artist whose practice is infused by discovery and history, and that which has shaped and influenced by our world. He likens this diverse subject matter to how his life has taken many paths through achievements of skilled-based trades. White’s current themes are informed by the origin of the metric system in eighteenth century France and how history has impacted and moulded individuals, countries and societies as a whole.