Bamboo, steel, found metal, linen and cotton thread, paint. The basket vessel on the left is created using knotless netting on a steel frame made using cold connections. The middle basket vessel uses cold connections to make the steel frame and fine wires to bind the various upcycled bits of found metal. The basket vessel on the right uses thread to bind and lash the pieces of bamboo. The baskets are created out of various materials and painted black; they are created for the shadows they can cast. The shadows allow the basket vessels to come alive in a way, changing throughout the day.
24.5
26.5
5.5
Steve Mann
Share this
H: 24.5" | W: 26.5" | D: 5.5"
Photo by Steve Mann
Heather Allen Hietala
Asheville, NC
My work explores the universal journey of life and its unfolding. I transform my lived experiences and observations of the world into tangible forms using the vessel across its many iterations as both metaphor and container. Seedpods, canoes, sailboats, weaving shuttles, and kayaks, all rooted in my personal history, become symbols of passage and transformation. Layering, stitching, and patching reflect the complexity of the subconscious, its accumulation of memory, experience, and unseen connections. These elements speak to our shared existence: we are not separate, but interconnected, each of us an integral part of the vast sea of life. I see the vessel form as universal and timeless, a symbol for the self and one's journey through life. In a world bombarded by discord and violence, my work strives to provide a pause, a sense of a timeless moment and shared humanity.
