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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => New Zealand & Australia Glass => Topic started by: Greg. on August 18, 2011, 12:02:02 PM
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Hi All,
Hoping someone can help me try to find out a little bit more information on Peter Goss, who I understand is an Australian studio glass artist.
I recently purchased a piece of studio glass blown by Peter Goss, I was initially drawn to it as it had clear influences of some of Sam Herman's work. From looking at the Alumni listings for the Jam Factory, I see Peter Goss was there from 1975-1977 and at the same time from 1974 to 1977 I also see that Sam Herrman was a creative director at the Jam Factory.
Whilst the piece I purchased is dated 1989 and signed by Peter Goss, it has clear influences of Sam Herman's designs which I suspect came about from their time at the Jam Factory in the 1970s. I also have an earlier piece that was blown by Sam Herman in London, which also has very strong resemblances to the newly acquired piece by Peter Goss.
I will pop some pictures up when the item arrives in the post, however, in the mean time if anyone has any further info on Peter Goss, I would be extremely interested to hear.
Thanks in advance.
Greg
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Sam Herman set up the Jam Factory hot glass studio in Adelaide in 1974, and Peter Goss was one of his first apprentices, along with Rob Knottenbelt, Tom Persson and John Walsh. (Ross (ahmreck) identified a few gorgeous John Walsh pieces for me). So yes, it's understandable that Peter Goss would have been influenced by Sam Herman. Goss is very collectable in Australia.
This is all I know. Ross will probably come along to answer more fully.
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Greg for many years Peter was a leading light in the glass community out here. The following article by another leading light Stephen Skillitzi (written in 1999) will give you some background.
http://glasscentralcanberra.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/australian-glass-pioneers-the-paper/
Can't seem to findout anything of him later than that article's mention. Many artists have to stop blowing from old age or other problems such as heavy metal poisoning, or the glass gets too heavy for them, and they then go on to a later career. For instance Colin Heaney has gone on to designing fabulous silk fabrics.
I have two items by Peter (a) a small jug marked AM & Goss which makes me suspect it was made with Alex Mitrovic at a glass conference perhaps to demonstrate particular techniques in the early days of Australian art glass, & (b) a small jug showing several techniques and very typical of what shows up on Ebay from time to time.
Ross
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Thanks Cathy and Ross.
The Stephen Skillitzi article is extremely interesting, I came across it the other day, gives a good insight into the early days at the Jam Factory and Australian studio glass as a whole. I did come across another article which mentioned that Peter Goss moved to Australia to train at the Jam Factory in the early 70s, I must admit that I initially thought that Peter was Australian to be honest.
I've also had difficultly finding out information on Peter's later career after leaving the Jam Factory. I had wondered if Peter Goss had gone on to establish his own glass studio after leaving the Jam Factory, it seem there's fairly limited information available. I did see a piece dated 1988 which was exhibited at the 'Forth National Studio Glass Exhibition' in Australia. The piece I purchased is dated 1989, so it does seem to indicate that Peter was still producing work at this time, although not sure how prolific he was at this point. Link below of the piece exhibited at the 'Forth National Studio Glass Exhibition' which I gather is in the Craft Australia National Historic Collection:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftaustralia/5373992703/
Thanks for the images Ross, I pop up a few pictures of my piece when it arrives in the post, all being well!
Thanks again for both your thoughts.
Greg
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Please find a few pictures of my new piece by Peter Goss which arrived this morning.
Signed to the base 'Peter Goss 89' and the words 'digital No 139'
Greg
:)
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Peter Goss is celebrated as the first studio glass artist to set up in Queensland. He established a studio at Tewantin (just up the river from the beach resort of Noosa Heads) in 1981 and has been the 'grandfather' of the extensive glass artist community in the Sunshine Coast region. His influences include helping set up Chris Pantano outside Nambour as the second glass artist in Queensland in 1986 and performing the opening ceremony for the Sunshine Coast Hot Glass Studio in Yandina for Jonathon Westacott and Greg Royer in 2004 (both operations since closed).
Peter Goss served in the Royal Marines 1964-1973, including active service in Borneo. He trained at the Jam Factory glass workshop in Adelaide 1975-1977 (see the first picture below with, from left, Rob Knottenbelt, Peter Goss, Stan Melis, John Walsh and Tom Persson). He then worked both as an independent artist at the Jam Factory and in Sam Herman's Studio (see the second picture below for an item inscribed "Peter Goss 77, SA2, SJ Herman Glass Studio") before moving to Queensland in 1979 and setting up his Paraison Glass Studio two years later. To quote Glenn R. Cooke writing in Craft Arts magazine in 1989, "His early works ... reflect the influence of Sam Herman but his more recent concentration on forms inspired by sea life has parallels with that of his other teacher, Stan Melis." For an example of the latter, see the third picture below.
Greg's item is a relative of the one in the fourth picture, inscribed "Peter Goss 89 digital No 6".
He became ill and closed the business in 1991 and then worked in the food industry in the region, variously as human resources manager, safety officer and product quality manager. First he was at the famous Buderim Ginger Factory, which by then was located not in Buderim but 23km away in Yandina, coincidentally in the same street that the Sunshine Coast hot glass studio later operated (although Yandina, pop. 4000, is sufficiently small there are not too many other streets to choose from!). In a further coincidence, the old ginger factory building in Buderim was later converted by the state government into a craft centre, opening in 1991 and featuring a hot glass studio which housed Chuck and Lesley Simpson, Lucas Salton, Martini Glass (Mark Galton and Tina Cooper) and others. A business directory shows Peter Goss working for a subsidiary company of Buderim Ginger as late as September 2009.
As Ross said, the works of Peter Goss are prized when they come onto the market.
Trevor
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Great research, Trevor. It really is time that the history of Australian Art Glass had a good book put together so those who come after us can appreciate the wonderful ceqations made by Aussies remote from the mainstream glass communities in Europe & USA. Thanks for the info. Where did you get the photos - are they all part of your collection?
Ross
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Thank you very much Trevor for all of your background info and the additional pictures you posted, most enlightening, its sad to hear that Peter no longer works as a glass artist, Ross did intimate that he may have stopped working in the industry due to bad health.
The pictures clearly show the different influences that affected Peters work at different points through his career.
I have attached a picture below of my Peter Goss piece, next to an early example of Sam Herman's work blown at the RCA in 1969. Whilst the colour and patterns are very different the overall shape and form draw many resemblances. Hope you enjoy.
Thanks
Greg
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Although it is an interesting piece, Ross's suggestion in Reply #2 of a joint work by Peter Goss and Alex Mitrovic is mistaken. It is more likely an early work by the noted West Australian glass artist Alan Fox. See his website here (http://www.foxstudioglass.com.au/).
What is the evidence? For a start, the object itself is unlike anything ever done by either Peter Goss or Alex Mitrovic. Then, if we look in another post where Ross made the same suggestion here (http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,9044.msg192012.html#msg192012), we can compare signatures. The proposed Goss-Mitrovic signature is quite different from the Peter Goss or Alex Mitrovic examples in the first two pictures below. Rather it is much more like Alan Fox in the third picture. Look at the shape of the "A". Look at the word "Fox" with the crossbar of the "F" extended over the rest of the word. Look at the terminal "x" which is no "ss".
Why the initials "AM"? That's for Alan Mark Fox. See his bio for his full name here (http://www.foxstudioglass.com.au/pages/personal.htm).
The date 1982 is plausible for Alan Fox because that is right in the middle of the period he operated his Glass Nest studio in Bridgetown, WA.
Trevor
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You may be right Trevor but the signature on that funny jug is so bad I would never suspect the second part was Fox and not Goss. For years I wondered who AM Goss was. The photo of the signature is not great but is attached. See what you think.
Ross
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Just bought a lovely vase - much larger than my original - c.15cms tall and 13cms across. Thought you might like to see the photos. I assume the PSG 1112 on the markings means Paraison Studio Glass item #1112.
Ross
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Ross, that's a stunning piece, I can see why you purchased it. I presume it would date from some time in the mid 80's..?
I came across this AUSGLASS newsletter from 1982 on the web the other day, I've attached a link below, the letter is in PDF format. It mentions briefly Peter Goss and also the workshop grant Goss received from the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, which was used to develop the Paraison Glass Studio in around 1981.
Doesn't contain a tremendous amount of detail, however very interesting to read nevertheless.
http://eprints.utas.edu.au/7081/6/Ausglas_7.pdf
Greg
:)
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Hi I have a Peter goss small vase dated Peter Goss 71 with a scroll under his name found being used for a pen holder, can you help with any information and value, no chips or damage and the colour a little more vibrant than picture 3inches high thanks
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Hi Backyardhabitat and welcome. That is a nice Peter Goss piece, showing clearly the influence of Sam Herman. The scroll under the name is common on his earlier pieces. See the fourth photo in reply #10 by Ross. The piece from 1977 in the second photo of my Reply #5 also has the same scroll under the signature.
The date on yours will not be 1971 because that is before Peter Goss started in glass. At that time he was still serving with the Royal Marines. It could well be 1977 or 1981, and I think the former is more likely. The marking in your photo is too indistinct on the screen to be sure. If it is 1977 it will be a more desirable piece, because it will have been made at the Jam Factory in Adelaide under the direct influence of Sam Herman.
Value? Whatever someone will pay for it. It is small but a nice illustration of its context. At auction, maybe up to $100 in Australia, less elsewhere.
Thank you for sharing. Any chance of clearer photos?
Trevor
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Dear Trevor
thanks for the fast reply i have taken a new picture if the bottom but still looks like 71 to me
thanks
Kim
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A recent purchase to accompany my previous piece of Peter Goss. This one i gather was blown at the Paraison Glass Studio and is marked to the base PSG along with 12 84/81. I was wondering if 81 would refer to the year of production as this would tie in with the opening of the Paraison Glass Studio that year.
Measures approximately 5.5 inches tall.
Enjoy.
:)
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Greg- I've just noticed this, but your blue vase in Reply #15 is dated 1987, not 1981. Every instance I can find of Peter Goss writing the numeral 1 is a single downstroke without any extra stroke at the top. Compare the first numeral in the serial number after PSG in your picture 3, where it says PSG 1284/87 for 1987.
The other indicator is the design itself, which more closely resembles what Peter Goss was doing in 1986-90 than anything much earlier. Compare your other item from 1989 in Replies #4 and $7 and the piece in the fourth photo of my Reply #5 which is also from 1989.
I still can't clearly read the date on Kim's piece in Replies #12 and #14, but it looks like 79 to me.
Trevor
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Thanks for the reply, after much looking in lots of different lights, i too think the date is 79 not 71,
you all seem so passionate about this glass i just stumbled upon this piece, so i am going to sell this
i noticed the link to eBay, would you recommend this method of sale? or do you have a for sale page linked to the forum?
thanks
Kim
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Many thanks for taking a look Trevor and your thoughts on the date.
The similarities with the other pieces of Goss blown in 89 you refer to are clearly apparent. So both pieces I have date to 89, no wonder they seem to sit so well next to each other!
Kim - If you are thinking of selling your piece, I would suggest listing it on ebay and then posting a link to the sale in the 'Glass Market Place' section of the GMB.
Thanks,
Greg
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Hi all,
Been looking again at the A M Fox 1982 piece. Makes sense to me, as it is about the time that Alan was in partnership with Gene Poult, and the piece has much of Gene's characteristic style about it. Gene no longer with us, but Alan may be able to answer ?
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A small correction Travelguy. The partner would have been Gene Polt (note spelling)
Ross