Monash Memo - 9 May 2001

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A touch of glass

Monash glass blowers Ms Sophia Emmett and Miss Elaine Miles are branching out into the overseas market with their mix of glass vessels and designs.

Ms Emmett has just completed her postgraduate Diploma in Applied Arts, while Miss Miles is now undertaking a Master of Fine Arts. Both majored in glass blowing.

The pair, known collectively as Seem Designs, are already selling glass items such as vases, glasses and ornaments through several outlets around Australia including Space Furniture, which has stores in Melbourne and Sydney. Space Furniture is due to open a new store in Singapore, where Seem's merchandise will also be available.

Miss Miles said the duo planned to next target the New York market, where there is interest in their product range from prestigious stores such as Global Table, Totem and Breukelyn.

She said her work tended to be more conceptual, for example her series 'Bowls' and 'Boxes' focused on a single object that was repeated until it filled a whole space or room.

Ms Emmett, now in the United States on an art scholarship, produces more design-oriented work, with images of urbanscapes and people incorporated into her designs.

The two artists' work has been featured in solo and joint exhibitions in Melbourne and Sydney.

Caption: Ms Elaine Miles and Ms Sophia Emmett