Hag
When I received the invitation from Fife Contemporary to take part in their big annual exhibition I was challenged on two counts:
I felt the working title ‘Hags' was derogatory and having just finished 3 days of open studio I had promised myself ‘No more big projects’ but both reservations when out of the window when I realised that the aim was to celebrate the work of older women.
I shared my qualms with the curator, Kate Pickering who acknowledge that about half the 13 exhibitors (the youngest being 50!) had voiced similar thoughts. A wide ranging Zoom meeting with FC staff and artists brought forward new ideas and the final title was reached to the satisfaction of all:
'HAG. Knowledge, Power & Alchemy through Craft’ - where Hag does not refer to the participants but rather to their/our way of being/working.
Thankfully Kate suggested that I make some tall forms which is what I had intended anyway and I welcomed the the opportunity to experiment with new ideas and gave myself some criteria to frame the work including using only ‘old’ willow ie what I already had in stock. This brought with it the challenge of there not being enough of one variety so one basket has a mixture of Flander red, Britzensis and Americana, the latter harvested at Upperward's willow bed at Chatelherault in 2009! The Daphnoides basket has used the combined harvest from many years whilst another uses an unknown and new-to-me willow from Amisfield in East Lothian.
These challenges and the title of the exhibition gave me freedom - freedom from perfectionist tendencies and purist ideas about natural ‘blemishes’ in the face of shortage of materials, difficult soaking conditions and lack of time/energy to bring all ideas to fruition. In short it gave me the courage to present new work ‘without borders’.