July 4 - August 5, 2008

Hold That Thought: Woven Vessels by Joan Carrigan

Opening Reception Thursday, July 3 from 6pm - 8pm

Hold That Thought: Woven Vessels by Joan Carrigan runs July 4 thru August 5 at the Circle Craft Shop & Gallery in Granville Island’s Net Loft. This exhibit highlights the use of natural materials in basketry. Included are vessels from Joan Carrigan’s Entwined series made with sedge, cedar bark and root. In addition, a series of more sculptural bark pieces of arbutus, willow, and cherry will be on display. Several framed pieces of woven willow bark in twill patterns will act as a backdrop to the three-dimensional pieces.

Joan Carrigan is a Salt Spring Island basket maker who strives for a balance in her works that honours local, natural materials and textures while expressing her unique vision and expression of form. Carrigan blends the random aspects of the natural world with the control of human involvement; simplicity with complexity; yielding with exertion. It is a balance between exercising control over the materials and allowing its own characteristics and presence to come through in the piece.

“It was during travels in the South Pacific, when I was first drawn to the natural beauty and significance of basketry,” says Carrigan. “It is fascinating to study how different cultures use the plants in their region to weave baskets, shelters and clothing for basic survival and how these basic skills developed into beautiful objects and works of art.”

This spring, Carrigan travelled to Scotland, England, and Denmark where she attended several basketry events and shared some of the weaving techniques and materials she’s been exploring on Salt Spring Island.

Carrigan has a B.A. with a Major in Fine Art and a Minor in History from the University of Guelph. She has taken part in numerous basketry workshops in the US and Canada. And, she’s an experienced teacher with international credits. Her most recent exhibitions include: 2008 “Contemporary Craft in BC: Excellence Within Diversity,” Vancouver Museum, Juried Group; 2008 “Weaving Nature: Contemporary Baskets,” Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery, Bainbridge Island, Washington, Juried Group; 2006 "Basketry Currents," Carnegie Visual + Performing Arts Center, Covington, Kentucky, Group Invitational; 2005 "Reflections," Yukon Arts Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, Solo; and, 2005 “A Salt Spring Showcase,” Yamanaka, Japan, Group.

ClickHERE to read Thelma Ruck Keene's review with guest writer Ruth Scheuing.