Ye who are weary, come home (2021)
Natural plant and recycled materials, textiles, candle, wire, and metal armature
From a spiritual perspective, the human condition is often expressed as being lost and needing to find our way home. Throughout literature and bible stories this theme is explored, as in Dante’s Divine Comedy and the Prodigal son. Today, given growing ecological concerns, we are beginning to recognise the imperative need to return to the bosom of Mother Earth - not as Nature’s conquerors but instead as carers for this home we inhabit. Indeed, we are part of Nature; not separate.
A cemetery is often positioned as a final resting place. We come full circle – we come home. In this historic cemetery, the ‘weary come home’ to finally rest.
About the Artist
Basketry NSW is a state-wide community craft organisation. Members from the Sydney region meet monthly on Cammeraygal Country at Primrose Park Studios in Cremorne.
This work for HIDDEN was co-ordinated by Glenese Keavney and Flora Friedmann. Fourteen members were involved making the ‘home’ structure, including the armature. Twenty-five members were leaf makers. Contributors came from as far afield as Queensland, northern NSW, Mudgee, Orange, the Blue Mountains and all over the Sydney area. Basketry NSW is a vibrant, active organisation, aiming to keep traditional basketry skills alive, promote an appreciation of baskets, and explore new forms of artistic expression using basket making techniques.
Transcription
Hello. My name is Glenese Keavney. Flora Friedman and I are the curators for Basketry New South Wales contribution to HIDDEN Rookwood Sculptures, 2022.
Our art piece showcases many basketry techniques and many of our members were involved in the creative process. As a craft organization, we are very keen to encourage collaborative engagement amongst members by being involved in group projects. These combined activities assist the development of a genuine sense of community.
The title of our artwork is Ye who are weary, come home. A cemetery is often positioned as a final resting place. We come full circle. We come home. In this historic cemetery, the weary come home to finally rest. The overall size of the piece is about 2 metres high, 1.2 meters wide, and 1.5 meters deep. The primary structure is an octagonal shaped home made using a range of basketry techniques.
Basketry New South Wales aims to promote an appreciation of baskets and their historic and cultural significance. Basketry New South Wales commenced in July 2012 currently, we have 84 members in Sydney and country areas of New South Wales. 39 are local and 45 remote from Sydney. The group works towards keeping traditional basket making skills alive, but also explores new forms of artistic expression using basket making techniques. These resulting contemporary pieces are often more sculptural shapes than traditional basket forms. Basketry New South Wales had just participated in a public project held by North Sydney Council with a collaborative piece called Finding Our Way Home, when we became aware of HIDDEN Rookwood sculptures, our project of a woven home structure had been such a successful and satisfying group project that it seemed not only opportune to enter it into HIDDEN but also by repositioning and reconfiguring with different accompanying elements, it would perfectly fit not only the spiritual atmosphere of Rookwood cemetery but also some of the themes of HIDDEN.
Our hope is that the audience will feel a sense of peace, calm and beauty after pondering our home structure and how it relates to an essential human need to come home. We would hope too, that onlookers will contemplate the rationale for the bed of leaves representing the cycle of life, and the candle spiritual hope. We would also hope that visitors will gain a new understanding and appreciation of contemporary basketry skills. Finally, we would wish to make the public aware of Basketry New South Wales as a group, possibly encouraging some to join our band of basket makers.