Projects

“Walking onto the Richmond Street allotment site at the beginning of May, I was immediately struck by an invigorating hopefulness, to be amongst growing plants at this time of year. 

The space was full of potential - for the gardeners yes, but also as an offering of unusual materials, for the sculptural weavings that I was aiming to create. Just requiring a curious eye, a willingness for new exploration and a resilience to the occasional slug secreting itself in my rucksack!

From the very beginning, the creation of this exhibition has been entirely led by what I encountered on and around the allotment site. Being inspired by the enormous rhubarb patch on Plot 33, I learned to create cordage from natural materials, a process which I embraced with an all consuming curiosity. Initially made from rhubarb, I then gathered dandelions, grasses, plantains and bindweed. Dried plants hung on S-hooks from every available surface, waiting to be handled and twisted, a new skill.

Simultaneously my pockets filled with rusty treasures, no longer serving a purpose on the allotment but later used to rust dye fabric, as well as to be a weaving material. 

Waste materials are still inevitable even to the most eco conscious gardener, and so allotment users donated stray or worn out gardening gloves, knotted ends of twine, empty compost bags in abundance. A mound of cracked plastic plant pots, once cut down, provided repurposed looms for workshops, as well as strips and embellishments.

While gathering,I observed the subtle shifting of the seasons and their impact on what was available to use, like dried pea foliage being cut away ready for new planting in the bed and the abundance then waning of dandelions. The month had as much of an effect on the end result, as the site itself.

A surprise was how much the materials themselves dictated where they wanted to be within the weaving process. Ribbons of plant pots remembered their former curve. Palms of garden gloves imprinted with soil, used friction to resist my manipulation of them. Dried flower heads left on the handmade cord choosing their own resting place. Branches yielding only a fraction or else risk snapping them. 

And so, much as we often have to do with gardening and growing (and indeed with life) I relinquished some of the control.

I revisited the allotment site and took photos, noticing the way that manmade materials and nature coexist; their compositions always a little haphazard; winding, off centre, imperfect, organic, overlapping, weathered. Beautiful.

The unconventional materials pushed and pulled at my warp threads, creating spaces or disrupting the regular pattern and so just as a seedling pushing its way through an empty spot of soil, I made use of the space and added more materials. I encouraged a cohabitation of manmade and natural waste, as well as of the soft and rigid components.

The result is two large textural sculptural weavings. Sister pieces in a way, each a different representation of allotment life and with different materials pushed to the limits. The pieces are designed to evolve with the elements, just like everything else on an allotment. Some materials were used wet, and will change colour and form once dry, or else rust may bleed into its surroundings.

And through all of this, peoples stories are interwoven, my story is interwoven. I was welcomed by the “Wonder Women” group and together we wove mindfully on small circles, while they generously shared snippets with me and each other.

Whether to be a part of a community and to share tips and support or for peaceful solitude and occupying an outdoor space, the allotment welcomes seekers in.  Both creating art and gardening are empowering acts of nurturing something from nothing and it has been a joy to weave the two elements together.” 

- Fran Buxton