About my work

"In the mid 1980’s as an artist using basket techniques to express ideas I felt free to use any material available, no matter where it came from. But, as I learnt more about the tradition and craft of basket making it became obvious to me that basket makers have always been environmental conservationists; using only the materials of their immediate environment and never more than could be considered sustainable. This realisation combined with a life-long interest in resourcefulness and a growing conviction that sustainability was a valid cause made me decide in 1992 to stop using materials that could not be considered sustainable. Rattan from South East Asia, chemical dyes and applied paints and varnishes were some of the things that were consequently eliminated from my work. Now I work only with grown, found or recycled materials that are available in my immediate environment and sustainable living and working has become a guiding principle in my life.

A selection of works made both before and after 1992 can be seen in the images pages of this site.

Drawing attention to the unexploited potential of materials has been an important part of the message sent out by my work and has led me to think more deeply about the willow which is grown on a commercial basis in many parts of the world specifically for the manufacture of baskets. In order to research the potential for willow to be used more in contemporary product manufacture I undertook 4 years Doctoral research in the Design Products Department of the Royal College of Art, which I completed in 2003. To learn more about this research and the new direction that it has taken my work in go to the grown home section of the site. My thesis 'Grown Home: an exploration of processes for the manufacture and cultivation of willow products' has been chosen by ETHOS for digitisation and should be available to view on line soon.

One of the things that became evident through my research was the lack of academic papers on willow product manufacture. With the notable exceptions of the work of Mary Butcher, Dr. Ian Hunter and Pat Kirkham, there has been little written about the practical applications of willow. What is urgently needed before the local knowledge is lost are more papers, theses and articles about the regional baskets and woven furniture of Britain; the Kentish Kibsey, the Devon Maund, the Southport Boat, and the Somerset Diamond backed chair are just four of many examples. Who made them; how they were made; why they were made; what they were made from; what role they played in the fabric of the society in which they were made; who bought them and how were they used. All of this is important information that we can learn from and move forward with but it needs to be done soon while examples still exist.

Achieving a Doctorate was a stimulating and rewarding experience for me and by doing it I hope to have made it easier for the next person who bravely puts their hand up and says they want to examine baskets or basket making in an academic environment in Britain.

The techniques of basket construction have a relevance to a much broader range of activities than the term basket suggests. If you can hand weave a three dimensional structure you can also build a home and furnish it no matter where in the world you live. There is a technique suitable for every available natural and found material. How many other craft activities are as sustainable and versatile or use so little equipment and free material? Yet, surprisingly, there is no place for these techniques in mainstream education. One of the things I like to teach children is how to make ropes from things such as dead leaves or bits of plastic bag. Their utter incredulity and delight when they realise that they can create something useful out of something that is considered to be rubbish never fails to reinforce my belief that these skills are valuable. This is one of the reasons why I am now dedicating a lot of my time and energy to teaching.

One of the things I have always sought to do has been to inspire others to do something exciting, original, dynamic and intelligent with these techniques and materials both for their own pleasure and satisfaction but also to ensure that the craft of basket making moves forward and is not viewed as an irrelevant anachronism. For details about where and what I am teaching see News and Tuition.

Having lived in London for 30 years and part time in South West France for 18 of those years I have now made travel decisions harder for myself by living in South West France and in Shetland where my grandmother was born. The stunningly beautiful, and mainly deserted, beaches on the island of Yell provide a wealth of jetsam from all over the world, and I am excited at the prospect of working with some of it.

I hope you find something of interest and are inspired by this site which has been created and is managed for me by my brother Robert Walpole; to whom I owe more than a few beers."

Lois Walpole November 2008
(lois@loiswalpole.com)