For
many traditional artists, “knowing your materials”
is the hallmark of mastery. The selection of just the
right materials has both aesthetic and practical implications.
For example, when Leona Waddell and Mary Jane Prater
make their beautiful white oak baskets, they make special
efforts to make sure that the splints are firm yet pliable.
Brittle splits would result in more effort and poorer
quality baskets.
In many ways, knowledge of materials is as important
as knowing how to weave the wood, grass or cane into
a basket. Such knowledge requires a high degree of environmental
literacy, knowing just what to look for in a tree or
a stand of grass and comes from years of gathering materials.
The traditional artist also knows what type of wood,
grass or reed is the best for specific shapes and forms.
For example white oak is prized for its beauty and durability,
sweet grass for its strength and fragrance, river cane
for its color and flexibility. When some of these prized
materials are scarce, artists may experiment with other
materials but many return to the tried and true materials
that have been used through the generations.
-Kathleen Mundell
Traditional Arts Curator
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