Our primary reason for visiting the Portland Museum of Art yesterday was to see the current exhibition by indigenous Wabanaki artist Jeremy Frey. He works primarily in basketry and his pieces are incredibly striking and beautiful.
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| Exile #4 admiring some quillwork on the lids - intricate pictures of animals made from porcupine quills |
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| Some baskets based on the shape of a sea urchin |
However, perhaps the most thought provoking piece was a video installation showing the entire creative process from the selection and cutting down of an ash tree, through the preparation of the materials, to the weaving itself, using a form turned by hand from the trunk of the same tree. It is slow, painstaking work requiring considerable skill.
The final visual of the short film is that of the basket catching fire and burning to ash as a reflection of the environmental challenges, such as that posed by the invasive Emerald Ash Borer, that are making it increasingly hard to continue traditions that have been passed down over many generations. A difficult but important message.
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