Articles - 19 July 2007

Woven Forms: Contemporary basket making in Australia

Forword by Steven Pozel

Object is very proud to present Woven Forms: Contemporary basket making in Australia. For me, it is a genuinely personal pleasure to see this exhibition realised. Having moved to Australia from Canada in 1997, I became curious about the comparative lack of recognition contemporary basket making seemed to have in this country, despite the extraordinary quality and diversity of the work produced here. Then in 2002, Brian Parkes, Object's Associate Director, and I had the first in a series of discussions that eventually led to the development of this project.

Now, Woven Forms aims to realise the popular potential of the basket. Definitive, diverse and celebratory, it offers the public an unprecedented opportunity to witness the full scope and quality of work by Australia's finest contemporary basket makers.As I write, baskets have been arriving at Object in anticipation of Woven Forms's debut at Object Gallery. With each, the sense of anticipation continues to fortify and their inventiveness and beauty continue to surprise even the most basket-savvy among us. After all the hard work and sustained belief in this project, it is very satisfying to see it materialise.

Featuring work by artists from both indigenous and non-indigenous backgrounds, from the well-established to the newly emerging and from locations right across Australia, Woven Forms is one of the most ambitious surveys of basket making ever seen in this country. In all 58 artists have been selected by a team of seven curators and the exhibition will tour to at least ten venues throughout Australia. A project of this scale involves so many contributors, partners and supporters and I would first like to thank the curators, not only for their hard work, but also for contributing their significant expertise, without which this project would not have been possible.

Important resources have been brought to the project through Object's ongoing collaborations with FORM Contemporary Craft and Design and FORM's partnership with BHP Billiton Iron Ore. Together we are very proud to be touring Woven Forms to further locations around Australia. We are also grateful for the Federal Government's support of the exhibition through Visions of Australia and through Object's National Exhibitions Strategy, funded by the Australia Council.

This wonderful publication immortalises the exhibition and is a product of Object's aim to publish substantial books and catalogues that promote contemporary craft and design to broad audiences. I commend all those involved, with particular acknowledgement to the Gordon Darling Foundation, the support from which made this publication possible.

Woven Forms celebrates the richness of Australian basket making, the skill and innovation of the individual artists, their varied approaches and the diversity of their cultural heritage. We hope it will go some way to ensuring greater recognition of the field and those who have contributed to it.

Steven Pozel
Director
Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design

Woven Forms: Contemporary basket making in Australia catalogue

Also see: 716 craft·design Issue #23 August 2007
Special issue on Indigenous craft and design