Glass Half Full: An Interview with Maddie Cardone

In July of last year, Maddie Cardone was featured in our In Conversation interview series, but it wasn’t enough for us – we needed more Maddie Cardone.

Maddie is in her final year of a Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship and Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in glass at ANU’s School of Art and Design. Though she is still studying, Maddie is already making her mark on the art scene. Having curated a glass exhibition in China, and exhibited across Australia with her latest exhibition ‘Impressions’ at Canberra’s Tributary Projects, she boasts an impressive portfolio of innovative, minimalist glass pieces for exhibition and contract work.

We asked Maddie about the ins and outs of her career as an emerging artist and curator, a ‘how to’, if you will, to Maddie Cardone.

Q: Why did you choose to study glass?

A: It was actually by chance. I came out of school and I was so bored. I was kind of struggling because I needed some kind of a creative outlet, so I applied to art school. Originally, I applied for gold and silversmithing, because I really like jewelry, but I ended up getting my second preference, glass, because they didn’t have enough spaces in gold and silver. I guess it was fate! All my ideas could be manifested in the material. I was getting good feedback and I was like ‘I need to know more about this material’, and just went from there!

Q: How does studying art at university improve artists? Do you think university is a key to success?

A: University gives you a foundation. It teaches you the importance of knowing your field’s history and concepts, because I feel like it’s not enough to just make something and put it out there. Sometimes, being informed gives you more opportunities to explore different things. I am glad I got to experience uni.

Artists and academics surround you; you have the facilities literally at your doorstep but the thing is, you can go through uni, get a visual art degree and still do nothing about it. So it’s half the teaching and half the will to go beyond it; the motivation to put yourself out there in the real world, because uni doesn’t teach you those things. It’s about knowing you can succeed by just pushing yourself, submitting work, and going to exhibitions. That’s why I said to Annette Liu [recent collaborator for Impressions exhibition] “Why not!? We’ve got amazing work, we work well together, we need to get our names out there!” She’s doing honors in photography, and photographs all my work. It’s so important and helpful to go to university because you do meet people who have skills that you don’t and you can collaborate. And it’s giving back to your fellow artists as well!

Q: How did you set up an exhibition together?

A: We just contacted the gallery. Basically, we put forward a proposal of what we wanted to do and they were like “yep!” And then we were like “shit, ok, we need to make something” and so we just went from there.

Q: How do you see your career evolving?

A: I mean, I don’t know? Getting into industries is daunting because you don’t think you know enough or have the experience, but I think it will evolve with connections, putting myself out there and keeping busy as an artist and curator. Feeding my practice in different ways will keep the ball rolling. What I’ve found is to keep persisting. I almost quit my Art History degree but that has got me to China, so you need to keep believing that what you are doing is worth it. You can’t expect things token of different degrees, like the standard ‘you graduate, get a job’. It’s very linear and in a visual arts degree it’s not, it’s more subjective to your connections and motivation.

Q: People say if it isn’t broke don’t go trying to fix it. Having seen some success early on now in your career is it difficult to stray from what is evidenced to work for you and has been popular?

A: I’ve tried to establish a style and then gain a following that’s interested in the new things I do. As soon as you have a successful reputation you can then start to draw away from that and go all out! I would love to do installation art and do really crazy things because I have this reputation already with my style and people have gained interest in my art. It’s important to keep your practice dynamic. I have had that experience where people have said “but can you do this and make this with this?” but I don’t want to do that because I don’t want to lose the power as an artist to make the things that I want to make. So, I’m very careful with commissions. I talk to clients and ask questions like: where do you live? Where do you work? What is your environment? But, I don’t ask them what they want. That way, I can go away and make some designs based on what they have told me. Often you can lose sight of your own artistic ideas if you are trying to make money and trying to be different. There is a massive market, and I would rather leave the world happy having fulfilled my own artistic needs and having left an imprint on the art world rather than having been a commercial artist.

Q: How does your practice empower you?

A: Personally, it gives me confidence within my passions but also when I connect with people. It’s rewarding meeting people and making things that push boundaries. It empowers me in every way, every day because it’s what I am passionate about.

Q: How do you predict you practice evolving?

A: I know what I would like it to be. I would love to have a studio established with my own equipment, and partner with architectural firms by doing designs for homes. I want to be able to travel with my work and teach workshops all over the world. I want opportunities to jump into my hand and grab them. I can see myself in institutions and group exhibitions talking about contemporary glass, but I can also see my career in the commercial creative design market. I did some work with Townsend + Associates Architects and now they are contacting me and following me on Instagram so I have already established a connection there.

I love the flexibility of your work; how it can be exhibited in galleries and museums or, as you say, you can work with architects to display in homes or anywhere really.

Yeah that’s what I like about them. I want them to belong in the home, which is why I am mostly interested in working with interior designers.

Q: Yeah that would be so cool!

A: The nature of the design and the texture comes alive with the changing of light, so under a gallery’s controlled lighting it’s often quite static. Sometimes opaque glass can be so heavy and condensed so I really wanted to incorporate light and that changing of light. So, if it was in a home where lights are constantly changing the work also changes with it.

Q: What do you think it takes to be successful in the art world?

A: Being smart about your choices; about who you work with, about how much time you give to yourself and other people, about connections, about being humble, about being willing to learn and not being ‘up yourself’, because that’s when you start to shut the world out. I think to be successful is to be well rounded in knowledge and offering the artistic industry everything you have. I also think it’s trying to influence people in a positive way. When you gain success inside, financial success will follow through your reputation and the business side of things.

Q: Is Canberra a good place to be an emerging artist?

A: Definitely, especially for glass. Canberra is big on their glassworks so you have great facilities. You are always mingling with artists and creating connections. I am glad I started here, not in Sydney or Melbourne, because if you have a lot going on at the beginning it can get confusing. Since Canberra is small and direct I feel I can take what I’ve learnt out into the world.

Q: Is an ‘all or nothing’ approach to an artistic career a good idea, or is a backup necessary as a financial safety net?

A: There is a romantic view of ‘dropping everything and just doing art’ out in the world, but in this day and age if you want to lead a stable life it won’t happen that way. In terms of a backup plan, I would work with my art alongside another career. I would be involved in institutions as well as art making, for example, being a collections manager, installing or art conservation and restoration, but always coming back to my studio.

Q: How do you approach doubters that seek to undermine the legitimacy of your creative pursuits?

A: I think the biggest disappointment is when people outside the industry doubt what you can do with such a career. It’s sad because it’s unnecessary and about their lack of knowledge – they criticize what they don’t know. I have encountered people in the industry who have been threatened by my success and I found that really hard to deal with. The approach I take is to think, “Ok, you feel that way, are you benefitting me in anyway? No. So, do I need to care about what you say? No.”

It almost motivates me. My mum is an artist but my dad is a finance manager, so he was a bit unsure about my career. I used that doubt as motivation to prove that you can have a successful life in this industry if you know how to work it properly.

Of course, I have had days where I am like ‘what am I doing? Can I actually keep hold of this?’ Sometimes it’s just easier to have a public service job, but I know that’s not me and won’t fulfill me. You have to go through those moments to learn from them.

Q: You graduate this year, what are your plans for the future?

A: Aside from glass, my other major is Art History and Curatorship. That was a strategic choice because I knew that when going into visual arts it would be hard to establish a career. I am also interested in collections and aim to curate exhibitions with locally-based, emerging artists. I’m really interested in what’s happening within the contemporary world.

I would love to teach as well, maybe lecture overseas. I have this passion for teaching other people. As an artist you can become quite selfish in consuming your own practice because it is a reflection of you and what you are doing, so I want to foster a really nice relationship with artists and students.

Q: If you could give any advice to others studying design and visual art, what would you say to them?

A: Don’t lose hope in wanting to be successful – you will be if you put the work in. Trust your abilities. Listen to your mentors. Start to build knowledge of what is happening in the now. Talk to people. Allow yourself to take a break. Take pressure off yourself – it’s good to go through bad times. I have gone through really shit times with finding myself but now I have come out of it with a new maturity about my career that I don’t think I would’ve had if I didn’t go through that. So, just embrace the crap; the shit people, the struggles, and just enjoy your life! Recognize what you believe in and what you like. Allow yourself to grow and to make mistakes. You should recognize those mistakes. Keep positive! Keep the faith!

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Through my interview with Maddie I realized what it takes to foster creativity in our modern world. Her unique experiences harness artistic passion to overcome the challenges of the art world and motivate us emerging artists, art lovers and art illiterates alike to strive forward towards whatever satisfies our souls. Her hard work, passion and drive are inspiring, as is the way she strives for artistic, financial and inner fulfilment. Honestly, I doubt she needs it but, Maddie, I wish you luck. You’re a gem.

Interview by Claire Gaspar