bark, luxurious bark...

Presenting some ideas from my new book Practical Basketry Techniques to students at the London College of Fashion last week reminded me of my enthusiasm for two things: plaiting and stripping bark. The two complement each other beautifully, as bark makes an ideal material for plaiting. It’s been used the world over to make containers of all types, as well as clothes, shoes and hand bags. Strip the bark in spring or early summer when the trees are full of sap, then plait or weave then and there, or allow it to dry and soak to soften before using.

I attended this fantastic bark-stripping workshop with the weaver Maggie Smith (not the actress) last summer and now I’m hooked. Problem is we got so enthusiastic about the stripping we never get round to the plaiting. We tried stripping birch, sycamore, willow, dogwood, poplar, chestnut and a few other species. Since then I’ve stripped more sycamore, as well as elder bark, courtesy of my local municipal gardeners. I’ve been meaning to use the bark for ages now, and must do so before the stripping season starts again, else I know, I’ll get distracted again.

After talking with the students, I may have found the perfect opportunity. They are currently working on a project designing luxury goods, with the possibility of using fine leather. I suggested using bark as an alternative. There is such a range of textures, grains and colours, and the potential of sourcing the bark locally which fits their brief very well. Bark might possibly not last as long as fine leather (depending of course on what is designed and how it is treated), but then again, what is more precious than something that doesn’t last. That is real luxury! In any case, you only to have to wait until the following spring to make yourself another item if need be. This is slow and fast fashion combined, perfect!

basketry on the go

Putting art into practice, I'm just back from giving a talk at Kingston University to students in the design and architecture faculty. They are working on an exciting new project on creative resourcing with a partner in Zimbabwe, focusing on basketry.

After talking about a number of my past projects that led me to consider basketry, and subsequently got me involved in co-authoring Practical Basketry Techniques due out next month, I introduced the student to various techniques in basketry.

Many images later (and with a very dry mouth) we had a Q&A, which is always the most interesting part. When asked what tools are required for basketry, I was immediately reminded why I took to the craft: you need little else than a cutting implement, and that's it! As far materials go, you can use pretty much anything that surrounds you and is flexible, whether natural or man-made. Actually, thinking of 'assemblage' which relies on other ways of joining elements together than weaving, materials don't even need to be flexible. I love that economy and simplicity!

The issue of tradition vs. innovation also came up, as it always does with craft matters. My take on this is that you can 'tweak' traditions and appropriate techniques to have your objects serve new functions and contexts, while celebrating traditions at the same time. This is what keeps craft alive.

The discussion then moved on to the economics of basketry. Its perceived market value can often diminish due to the materials used being cheap and readily available, irrespective of the expertise, skill and time that has gone into the production of items. But as one of the students rightly pointed out, their value should not be measured simply in terms of money, but also social capital: this ancient craft connects us with our environment and the vernacular, and has the power to build communities and provide 'tools for living'. David Gauntlett is right when he says 'making is connecting'.

The nature of the students' project in Zimbabwe means a sustainable 'make it local' ethic is key, considering the provenance of the materials used. Good basketry has often been described as a harmonious balance between form, technique and material. Location might be added to this. Basketry techniques have been developed over millennia in accordance to the nature and behaviour of local materials when they are woven or assembled. But trade and the introduction of non-indigenous plants, with resulting hybridisation of basketry techniques, means locality is about other places too.

This talk gave me plenty of food for thought for my lecture at the London College of Fashion this coming Friday, when I will be talking to students on a sustainable fashion course, and all going well, sow the seeds for a project later in the year working with the department on a basketry and dye garden. More on this in future posts. Don't go anywhere...