Christiane Sand
(27 Dec 1956-19 Feb 2017)
I am fascinated and intrigued by the plants growing around me – in my garden, my allotment, and when I am on holiday or visiting friends and family –and how I could use them for basketry projects. I enjoy gathering and drying them. I enjoy the process of discovery of how the different materials behave and how I can make them work in a basketry context: for example a very open basket made by a woody looking creeper, and a delicate less open, but still spacious basket made from long pendulous florescences.
While most of my designs arise intuitively, often inspired by the material I want to use/make work, the design element of the City Lit Course gave me a very good insight and understanding into my aesthetic preferences i.e. which specific aspects make me like a basket I like; this self-reflective skill now also informs and actively contributes to my making.
As a maker I struggle between different ends of the spectrum of neatness/clean and skilled execution of technique and working loose enough to allow my baskets to have soul. Having discovered the Japanese concepts of Wabi-Sabi and the values that come with it are helping me to work out where on the spectrum I need to be/focus.
While most of my designs arise intuitively, often inspired by the material I want to use/make work, the design element of the City Lit Course gave me a very good insight and understanding into my aesthetic preferences i.e. which specific aspects make me like a basket I like; this self-reflective skill now also informs and actively contributes to my making.
As a maker I struggle between different ends of the spectrum of neatness/clean and skilled execution of technique and working loose enough to allow my baskets to have soul. Having discovered the Japanese concepts of Wabi-Sabi and the values that come with it are helping me to work out where on the spectrum I need to be/focus.
