Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tim Johnstone weaves




Bare foot cane climbing!
Over the four days of the project we worked early and late - avoiding the hottest part of the day, we built the main structure from the large bamboo-like European Cane Arundo donax, the same stuff that bassoon and oboe reeds are made from - alongside fences, roofing panels, baskets, bee hives, toys and no doubt many other things. The combination of Cane and Willow and sometimes Olive branches is a distinctive feature of Catalan basketmaking. With this in mind working alongside the makers from the Catalan Association brought a great wealth of material knowledge to compliment my own ideas about the structure and form of the project.

Text and image from here

Tim Johnston's work is captivating. He does a lot more than weavings and if you poke around his website and blog you see what I mean! I found his work a few years ago and  was delighted to get to this link today as I dont remember it being easy to find much in 2010 on this artist's stunning work.

His website and blog has lots of excellent images and info ... do go have a look wont you! Well worth the journey!


LOVE this found here















thorny issues ....




 see connections



















and the biggest wow factor of all.... found here











I'm inspired ... makes me want to go live in the bush somewhere so I can explore the landscape! So far I have not managed to sway my family to consider leaving the city precinct during our house-hunting days ... so not sure when a house in the country will be in my sight.

Still there are always the weekends and holidays.

Enjoy our week wont you!

14 comments:

ronnie said...

that first pic is soooooo amazing - gotta love bamboo eh (and basket weaving) .... dish images all round -- maybe you can make a hideaway in the city - when you settle on a new abode.... a wee woven wonder tucked into a corner..... yes I can see it now....

Sophie Munns said...

Now thats an idea Ronnie... a cocoon... a large woven one! SO could go for that...
Loved your book this morning too... that also got m thinking about wild spaces!!

Roberta Warshaw said...

His work is really something. Thanks for the link.

Caterina Giglio said...

gosh Sophie, all I can say is.... WOW....

Sophie Munns said...

Hi Roberta... hi Cat...
not much need for a lot of words hey?
Glad you liked this too!

Mlle Paradis said...

OK give me a heads up when you head out to the country....i'm coming too! in me big sunglasses......

Valerianna said...

The first time I saw the wrapped bundles of all different materials, I felt an instant kinship with his work as I had done some of this kind of wrapping in grad school and have done it here and there through the years. Something I want to continue, but never seem to! Maybe THIS summer I will. Thanks for the links to review his great work!

Sophie Munns said...

Will do Mlle P...
country idyll Ive been dreaming of for years can wait just now...but one day!

WIll see you there!
what fun!


Valerianna... interesting the very particular processes and methods of one's developing art practice. The decades pass yet some things have to be returned to I think. For me its all the textural and fabric ideas from my twenties when full time teaching ( and moving around for work) made me pack up the oil paints and stick to journals and making ...sewing, stitching, fabric printing and painting, experimental fashion inspired by the Japanese greats from the early 80's etc

Let's reclaim our early influences i reckon! Your immersion in land offers rich material that's for sure.

Stephanie said...

Amazing works! so organic looking and beautiful!! Willow is new to me. We have lots of cane stuffs here.

Debbie said...

Amazing, I saw some work like the bundles at Cambridge Botanic Gardens a while back, maybe that was his work

Sophie Munns said...

Hi Stephanie..
Exciting to see what he does with whats available ... you're in Malaysia if I recall properly... a very different natural environment from the UK where this artist is from thats for sure.
I wonder what he would make if visiting your region!
ciao


HI Debbie...
sounds very interesting...if you read his blog it does seem to follow his travels... however ... imagine a lot of artists might employ this process. Was it part of an exhibition?
Cheers,
S

annamaria potamiti said...

Fascinating work Sophie, thank you for sharing this. You always discover the most interesting artists. ;-)

Sophie Munns said...

Hi Annamaria,
Have been so absorbed in house hunting etc of late that online feels like the only place where art is happening here at the moment.
So ... discovering something wonderful to share is certainly a pleasant distraction.
S

Sophie Munns said...

Hi Annamaria,
Have been so absorbed in house hunting etc of late that online feels like the only place where art is happening here at the moment.
So ... discovering something wonderful to share is certainly a pleasant distraction.
S