Myriam Thomas's abbey transformation
"My name is Myriam Thomas and I am living and working in Belgium. I trained in glass art but had long been equally attracted to non-digital photography. So it was bound to happen that one day I would try to reconcile the two. Visiting the space of an old abbey ruin was the moment I conceived the plan to create a glass art installation, with many (+- 60) glass plates slumped into U-shape, on which I then applied cyanotype photograms of leaf skeletons. To make maximum use of the play of partial or full transparency, I sometimes also provided locally sandblasted sections, or sections where the light could pass completely unobstructed. In May 2022, the installation was completely finished, in time for the first exhibition in Pont-Loup, France, on the theme "Contemporary Impressionism. The photographs were taken there."
See more of Myriam's work on instagram at @myriamthomasglassart
Myriam's website is at mytglassart.be
A/A: When did you discover your love of art?
MT: For my mother, art was something that made her happy. So I certainly received encouragement from home to discover art from an early age. For me, the entrance gate was piano (at an amateur level) at first. I remember very well that I quickly experienced how art could be an extra language to express emotions.
A/A: What attracts you to non-digital photography?
MT: Non digital photography is both an art and a craft, and that combination is very attractive and for some reason it fits well with me as a person. There is also a "slower" aspect to non-digital photography. That also really appeals to me.
A/A: How did you approach the abbey to collaborate with them for the installation?
MT: Last year the city of Moret-sur-Loing, (France) where the old priory of Pont-Loup is situated, wanted to commemorate the impressionist painter Sisley who lived in that area for many years. So a glass group exhibition with the theme "Contemporary Impressionism" would be organised in the old priory, in May 2022. After visiting the location in 2021, I was so charmed by the place and also by the theme of the expo that I decided to submit my candidacy to be part of that group exhibition.