I had a thoroughly enjoyable day going to a lesson in Tjanpi which is the aboriginal term for their form of basket weaving using dried grass, although we used raffia and wool, but then so do they. in the APY lands, or the land of the Pitjantjatjara people. These were some of the women who were showing us how to do it , the second and third photos are of what I managed to get done, nothing finished and then photos of what they had finished for us to get an idea of what it was all about.
I hope I have got all of this right, it is a bit hard to know who is from where but it did seem odd to have the women talking in their own language but using mobile phones, after all these are desert aborigines, many only down here for a short time while family members have medical treatment.
It was put on by the Art Gallery of SA and there were a lovely bunch of women doing it, a large area to throw plant material around and fun to interact.
There is a large exhibition of aboriginal art on show at the art gallery called Desert Country and I hope to go and see it.
I loved the funny sculptures, my bird has a long way to go, but then again I may just leave it as it is. I rather like the rough look of it.
Off at 8 am and home by 6.30 it was a long day but I am really glad I did it as I havent done any basketry work for so long and this is encouraging me to go back to it.
Another lovely day today and I bought a painting but more about that tomorrow.
3 comments:
That sounded like the greatest class! How fantastic.
What a great class, learning from these lovely ladies who were so willing to share their knowledge.
This does look a fun class but i keep telling myself that I am not going to get into basketry or felting - can't handle the idea of any more STUFF - anyway, I have a plague of of wool moths at my house
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