The influential American glass artist Richard Marquis first visited Australia in 1974, demonstrating his glassblowing techniques and advising on the establishment of glass workshops in several centres. His work strongly influenced a number of Australian glass artists.

While Marquis' blown glass objects are based on functional forms such as the teapot, his approach renders them functionless, using almost cartoon-like exaggeration of form and decoration to bring humour to the work. Marquis is a master of the complex techniques of Italian murrini and millefiori glass he uses to build the intricate patterns and depth of decoration that characterise his quirky objects.