I am one of only a very few basketmakers left in Alabama that practices and harvests natural materials of white oak, rivercane, poplar bark, hickory bark and bamboo from nature and it is my intention to not let this art die out. I make baskets with respect and gratitude to the first basketmakers of the world. I am influenced by the journey their baskets invoked. After I mastered the traditional styles, I refined my techniques and I now weave very detailed, intricate contemporary baskets that are inspired by the Southeastern Native Americans and go gently beyond the utilitarian purpose. I feel ancient, connected to those basketmakers that have preceded me and yet, very contemporary in joining others in blazing a trail to create a new art form that nurtures an old memory that lies deep within all of us.
My baskets are the product of a special melding of craft, art and skill rendering beautiful, functional objects. The natural materials and techniques that I use keep me in touch with the land. It inspires me to weave and keeps me profoundly grounded in where I live. The resulting colors, patterns and textures offer me an intimacy with nature that is both tactile and intangible.
From the beginning, the process of transforming these natural resources into a basket has struck me as magical. And, over the years, that magical process has led me from craft to art. Basketmaking fills me with a sense of accomplishment and integrity. Although I employ both traditional and innovative techniques, I am in awe of the mystery of how weaving occurs. This has led me to weave dynamically varied geometric patterns, textures and colors and still remain within the bounds of tradition to create handcrafted works of art.
I want my baskets to touch your soul in such a way that it fulfills your inner vision that connects to your spirit, thus true communion occurs, and it is through that communion that the basket is transformed, as am I. When I’m making a basket, I think about the person who will use it, thus, whenever that person uses it, the user thinks about the person who made it. This basket then forms a link between the hearts of the person who made it and the person who uses it. It seems to me, that is the meaning of my work. Although I’ve been making baskets for 34 years and have mastered many styles, materials, techniques and methods, I continue my basketmaking journey thinking that every other basketmaker is a master except me. That way, I never become complacent and I will always seek and learn new styles that I haven’t yet mastered. From the moment I awake, whenever time allows, I devote myself to the perfection of basketmaking.
Instagram: @roberthaygensbaskets
Facebook: @roberthaygensbaskets.com