Talk about the art of glass explores issues of gay male identity

In celebration of LGBT + HISTORY month, a University of Wolverhampton academic will be exploring the issues of gay male identity through his creative work with glass. 

Dr Max Stewart, a lecturer in the University of Wolverhampton School of Art, will be hosting the first of a series of events which have been organised by the School of Art. 

The Singing Forest is a talk by glass artist, Dr Stewart, who will discuss his work in relation to gay, male identity and issues of gender and sexual experience.  Throughout his work, Dr Stewart describes the human condition and places the viewer at the heart of the piece. 

Dr Stewart said: “Playing with a myriad of subject matter over the past decade has produced a body of work that informs and provokes.  The head, the mask, the sense of space between the viewer and the viewed have all combined to produce an imagery which I’ve used to disturb and incite the audience. 

When tribal and modern fetish subject matter combine, new gods and monsters are formed; metaphors and similes become deliberately confused, and the space between the audience and performer dissolves.” 

An ongoing exploration of the gay male experience in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany is a current theme in his work and gives title to this lecture. 

Dr Max Stewart is a sculptor in glass with a specialism in Pate De Verre. Trained in glassmaking in 2000 New Zealand Dr Stewart set up his own studio in Auckland (Mad Dog Glass Studio). He is currently Course Leader for the Master’s degree in Design and Applied Arts. 

The free hybrid event and will take place in person at the Wolverhampton School of Art and virtually on Wednesday 8 February at 2.30 pm. 

Register for the in-person event and for the virtual streaming event. 

Find out more about the School of Art and Screen School courses on the website or visit one of our forthcoming Open Days.   

All work pictured ©️ Max Stewart. 

ENDS