Basketry

Willow and Wire

Today I saw an exhibition of work by weaver Lois Walpole. She is currently exhibiting at the Walford Craft Mill in Wimborne where I volunteer. I haven't been up there for a couple of weeks so today was the first time I saw this new exhibition of woven baskets. The first thing that caught my attention was the smell in the gallery. There was an aromatic smell of wood, even though not all the pieces were wood based. It reminded me of the smell of my parents wicker furniture that they had many years ago. The second thing that caught my attention was the colour used in the work. The pieces are made up of found objects, ranging from bottle tops to corks, wire to paper and wood to plastic to tin. So you can imagine the selection of colour. The third thing that I noticed were the shapes of each of the pieces.

The gallery was an installation piece in itself, filled with a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. The pieces gave me a nostalgic feeling of home because of the materials used within work. I understand that Lois Walpole is a British artist working in France, but looking at her work gives me a sense of something more tribal modern, similar to the work seen in South Africa. Modern weaving in South Africa incorporates found objects such as tin cans and plastic carrier bags, and here I saw a very similar use of objects. There is a definate ethnicity seen in the work that I usually don't associate with European artwork. It is refreshing to see and it twangs on the home sickness strings just a little bit.

Wire, Tin and Baler Twine

Champagne and Beer Muzzles and Wire

Willow Plastic Bottle Tops and Wire

Wire and Wooden Beads

Wine Bottle Corks

Beer Tins and Wire

Orange Nets and Polypropylene String

Crown Caps from Beer Bottles and Wire