Articles - 7 December 2004

Reflections from the Craft Australia Board

Geoffrey Edwards

During October, Geoffrey Edwards travelled to Slovenia to attend the 2004 annual conference of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) specialist committee for Glass. At the committee's AGM Geoffrey Edwards was re-elected as a member of the group's steering committee. The conference involved receptions at major museums in Ljubliana and Celje and visits to celebrated archaeological and architectural sites. Boisterous banquets hosted in the kitchens of mediaeval castles were definite highlights of the experience.

During this time he also travelled in Austria and the United Kingdom, visiting dealers and major museum exhibitions including a visit to the excellent Christopher Dresser design survey at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Image - Geoffrey Edwards in front of (Detail) Melinda Harper's Untitled (2004) painting featured in the Geelong Gallery 2004 Fletcher Jones Art Prize.

Robyn Daw

Now a Board member of Craft Australia for a year, I am constantly impressed by the energy and passion for craft and design in Australia that is harnessed by Craft Australia's small but dynamic team.

The quality and diversity of expertise that comes to the Board, coupled with the investigative and interactive projects developed by Craft Australia staff - such as the Craft Australia online, and real time, forum Interact - and its national focus, indicates Craft Australia's strength lies in its unique position linking to craft and design practitioners throughout Australia, and developing strategies to increase awareness of Craft Australia as a vital part of Australian cultural product.

The strategic plan currently being developed by staff and Board indicates a new and vital approach to the organisation, and I look forward to seeing the results of its implementation.

Margaret Kirkwood

Margaret is the immediate past President of Craft Australia. This year she has been working towards a solo exhibition at Object Gallery. The show titled Feathers and Fragments opened in November and was a great success. Margaret Pomeranz opened the exhibition and her encouragement for the audience to engage with the works and start collecting was met with enthusiasm and positive comments.

The exhibition has been featured in the national press including the Sydney Morning Herald's "Critics Choice" column as well as media specific journals such as the JMGA NSW newsletter 'Filings'. Margaret has also been commissioned by NSW Govt Premier's Department to do more brooches for gifts to their visiting officials.

In other official capacities Margaret is now officially on the Sydney College of the Arts Board and attended the Sydney College of the Arts opening of the graduate exhibition. Interest in the Jewellery and Object studios has resulted in two streams of classes for jewellery this year because of the influx of students, 26 in the first year.

In addition Margaret has attended the first 'observation' Object board meeting and will officially come on to the board at their next AGM - about the same time as she departs her role on the board at Craft Australia. Off one and on to the other!

Image - Margaret wearing a piece of her jewellery

Virginia Braden

This year my travels have included visits to Shanghai and Beijing to attend festivals in both cities and to look generally at what is happening in the arts in China.

The large number of venues for visual and performing arts, both new and refurbished spaces, are very impressive and the number of new contemporary galleries, particularly in Shanghai is also very impressive. It seems that the Chinese public has a growing appreciation of western arts closely aligned with a higher disposable income. Certainly there is interest about Australia and about cultural exchange. Everywhere I went there were questions about Australian artists and the possibility of working and exhibiting in Australia.

I saw many places where exhibitions of Australian craft would be beautiful. The development of more exchanges between crafts practitioners and countries would be a very worthwhile goal.

Gilbert Riedelbauch

In early September I presented a paper at the Challenging Craft conference in Aberdeen, Scotland. This well organised three-day event was hosted by Gray's School of Art and The Robert Gordon University with Gordon Burnett as one of the key initiators.

Challenging Craft recognised the revolution craft is undergoing with hybrid practices blurring its creative boundaries, these practises include art, design as well as performance and film. This broad spectrum was addressed in the opening keynote by Gijs Bakker's from Droog Design and 41 presentations, including 36 referred papers. The conference was rounded off by the delightful closing remarks from Grace Cochrane, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. A significant focus of the presentations was on new technologies and their implications for practice.

Australia had a strong presence in Aberdeen, Kay Lawrence (President, Craft Australia and Head, South Australian School of Art), Peter Hughes (Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, author Craft Australia Interact online forum paper) all gave presentations and Anne Brennan (Craft Australia Interact online forum sub-committee) formed part of the interested audience.

In summary it was a very stimulating conference, which was well timed to identify some of the key influences effecting contemporary craft. I left with a sense that craft is going strong and is demonstrating a fantastic ability to respond to and incorporate changes and challenges. However it is up to all of us to communicate its vitality and validity to contemporary society.

Image - left to right - Peter Hughes, Anne Brennan, Kay Lawrence and Gilbert Riedelbauch