Madisyn Zabel gives us an insight into her mentorship under the globally regarded, Korean-American glass artist, Jiyong Lee. As a practicing glass artist and Professor of Art at Southern Illinois University, Madisyn has taken three years from her Australian practice to study under an MFA in Glass at Southern Illinois University under Jiyong Lee’s tutorship.
'Since relocating from Australia to undertake an MFA in Glass at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, my experience has been both experimental and exploratory. Under the mentorship of Professor Jiyong Lee, first-year graduate students are challenged to complete a new project each week, encouraging us to explore different ideas, themes, techniques and materials. This approach has broadened my understanding of glass as a material and sparked several new directions that I am excited to continue developing through gluing and laminating processes.
Alongside these material investigations, I have found myself paying closer attention to the architecture and environment around me, both on campus and throughout Carbondale. Observing the spaces I move through each day has made me think more deeply about how geometry, light and spatial relationships shape our experience of a place. I am increasingly interested in how aspects of these architectural forms and spatial experiences can be translated into glass, both as a way of understanding my surroundings and as a means of exploring the relationship between material, architecture and perception.
Access to SIU’s cold-working and laminating facilities has already had a significant impact on my practice, providing opportunities that were not readily available in my independent studio practice in Australia. Working closely with Jiyong Lee has been especially meaningful.
After first attending a cold-working and laminating intensive with him at the Corning Museum of Glass in 2015, it has been rewarding to learn from him again and gain insight into his approach and processes. His guidance is already helping me refine my technical skills while opening up new possibilities for future research and making.’
Written by Madisyn Zabel
View the Vantage Point catalouge, featuring Madisyn Zabel online here
