WICKER; LIGHT YET STURDY

Testing the Variable™ Wicker during a series of self portraits. Shot with 35mm film, in Oslo.

Wicker is a technique for making woven products from any pliable plant material. Wicker is light yet sturdy, making it suitable for items that will be be moved often; like more practical furniture, screens, benches and bags. Like the Variable™, which has a very light weight construction and its own handle so you can easily carry it around. The word wicker is believed to be of Scandinavian origin: vika, which means to bend in Swedish. Though the technique is dated back to the Egyptians.

As part of the idea of studying the original materials of the chairs, I came a cross this leafy-like wood thread, like a raffia; sun-dried leaves. Its long, beautiful, almost hairy like look, gives a novel and bouncy effect when collected as a bunt.

I wove it on a blind frame, three different pieces. One I left long haired at the end. I applied the finished weaves to the foam seats of which I had covered in canvas. The weave was easy to work with. I used a heavy needle to darn the corners together.

It’s surprising how sturdy the weave became. It’s not fragile. Do we need man made materials (read: synthetics) to make solid and durable surfaces? Furthermore, the weave - made by collecting many super thin layers of wood or leaves - is a study of the Variable™ in itself, where the curved wooden runners are made of 19 layers of pressed plywood.