Lois Walpole

Urban Baskets Tradition Recycled

Harley GalleryAugust 2012

This is an exhibition of contemporary pieces of weaving covering the last 28 years. 

Lois Walpole uses anything that might be called rubbish  – beer cans, juice cartons, orange nets and best of all champagne corks!  Lois thinks that there is so much to hand there is no need to buy materials to work with.

The Harley Gallery is small and as always the pieces were well displayed.  There was lots of information regarding date and materials and a place to practice weaving.

It sounds a bit corny to say there was a real WOW factor when I entered the exhibition but I can't think of a better way to describe it.  In the end I went back to the gallery 3 times to look again.  It was so exciting.   I missed the workshop unfortunately but maybe I'll go and do one at Lois' home in France!

It's hard to select just three pieces but my choice is made by trying to select different materials.

Vessel

26cmx25cm 1996 Orange nets and polypropylene string

My photo shows the bottom of what is a vessel with an circular opening at the top.  It was wonderfully tactile but I've real idea how it was created.  Lois likes what she creates to be useful but I can't see any use practical for this item. To me that doesn't matter very much because it is so interesting. All of Lois' work refers to traditional weaving but with a very modern twist through the choice of materials.  She draws on techniques from around the world and creates a whimsical feel to everyday items like this vessel.

Laundry basket

2010 102cmx60cm Paper and  polypropylene string

This is a laundry basket; the lid lifts off about half way down the piece.  The piece is highly decorative but supremely useful as well.  I was surprised at how sturdy it felt being just cheap paper.  Alice Meynell, writing in the catalogue says

"I asked her to make a laundry basket which is now rather worn, but still in daily use, despite being used as the favourite spot for hide and seek by my four children".  Tough indeed.

Lois Walpole, Urban baskets tradition recycled
Exhibition catalogue, 2010

Laundry  basket detail

The laundry basket is made of colored magazine pages that are rolled and then woven together by string that was knotted but I don't know what the technique is called.  

My attempt at the technique.

I tried to roll paper in this way and then fasten it together.  I found that I always seemed to get a white edge so my work wasn't colourful like Lois'. Thinking about it later I realised that she maybe she trims off the edges of the page so she is just left with colour.  The tying together proved difficult and required another pair of hands.

Small dish

2009 63cmx10cm Plastic lids, tube and wire

This lovely little dish is made of all sorts of plastic tops threaded together on wire and surrounded but plastic tube and it is highly decorative. The dish feels really contemporary but it is simply traditional threading which is an ancient way to display beautiful items.  The surprising thing about this is that the tops become beautiful rather than rubbish.

Dish detail

I wonder whether this style will still be appreciated as attractive in a few years time when attitudes to re-cycling will have changed.

Overview

I enjoyed this exhibition so much.  The artist seems to have been re-inventing this medium since she was in college when she was viewed as a bit of a maverick  (Lois Walpole, Urban baskets tradition recycled Exhibition catalogue, 2010).

I just thank goodness that she had the strength to pursue what was right for her and give us these wonderful pieces of art. 

As usual the Harley Gallery gave the exhibition the best possible space to present work and I could take photos which I always appreciate.