Join Maisy Stapleton and Paula Towers this Arts Thursday to meet two special guests.

Dr Noris Ioannou

Folk art and creativity is celebrated as an essential aspect of art history in countries like America, yet has been undervalued in Australia.  Dr Noris Ioannou, an authority on Australian ‘material folk culture and the decorative arts’, hopes to change this attitude in his new publication Vernacular Visions – a folklife history of Australia, diversity and storytelling.

Vernacular Visions celebrates our rich folklife history from the pre-history of the First Peoples through the waves of migrants that arrived onto Australian shores.

He explores an extensive range of items in his book including furniture, pottery, textile arts, and giant icons such as the Big Pineapple and huge Ned Kelly that mark tourist destinations across the country as well as art emerging from interaction between indigenous peoples and settlers and the creativity of close-knit groups, such as German immigrants to South Australia

Objects included in this book embody the stories of the people who made them, the challenges they faced, and the ways in which they engaged with each other and those around them.

Vernacular Visions is published in Australia by Wakefield Press.

Liz Gemmell

Liz Gemmell has taught knitting design for almost 30 years and has exhibited throughout NSW. She is an exhibiting member of The Society of Arts and Crafts of NSW and in this capacity has co-ordinated a beautiful craft exhibition now showing at Paddington’s Barometer Gallery Stories Told.

The exhibition showcases original handmade craftwork by a number of members of the society. Founded in 1906, the organisation is the oldest craft association in Australia and members are affiliated with craft guilds and include teachers as well as practitioners.

Stories Told includes a range of quality items created from textiles, paper, timber, glass, ceramics and jewellery made by Society artisans using both contemporary and traditional techniques.

Alongside works produced by its members, the exhibition features the work of two young guest artists, contemporary jeweller Naoka Takase and woodworker Hape Kiddle. Liz will describe and explain the variety of processes and materials employed in this fascinating exhibition which runs until May 30.

Photographs of traditional crafts from Vernacular Visions and from Stories Told taken by Maisy Stapleton

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Vernacular Visions: https://www.wakefieldpress.com.au/product.php?productid=1656&cat=0&page=&featured=Y

Barometer Gallery: https://barometer.net.au

Arts and Crafts of NSW: www.artsandcraftsnsw.com.au

DON’T WORRY IF YOU MISS THE PROGRAM!

If you miss the program you can listen again by going to /arts/artsthursday/ and clicking on the date 27 May 2021.