Wish List 2006
A Craftsouth Members Exhibition
Pepper Street Arts Centre
Season Closed


What would be on your wish list of South Australian craft and design given the opportunity? Mine would include some lovely porcelain works, some blown glass pieces and perhaps some unique sterling silver jewellery. 'Wish List 2006' is premised on this idea of audiences creating their own wish lists of local craft and design. The exhibition provides a perfect example of what may constitute such a list by showcasing works by 35 of Craftsouth's artist membership. With over 300 members, Craftsouth is an organisation that represents, develops and promotes the craft and design industry of South Australia, at the same time boasting work that is creative, innovative and diverse in practice.

'Wish List 2006' is a feast of aesthetic delights, displaying excellent craftsmanship and originality of design. Work in the show moves across a significant range of mediums including jewellery, woodwork, textiles, ceramics, assemblage, glass, printmaking, work on canvas and papier mache, emphasising how varied the craft and design industry is. The diversity of style exhibited is also a credit to the show where on one hand audiences can view wall-hung neckpieces consisting of assorted plastics, wool, hangers and hooks, threads and beads in the case of Annabelle Collett's work, to the more intricate and finely detailed glass cabinet contained porcelain jewellery of Alison Arnold's Paisley Series and Floral Series.

Highlight pieces include Stephen Skillitzi's abstract glass sculpture Mad Agascan Flower which is truly stunning. As is Humna Mustafa's calligraphic Awakening floor lamp, incorporating pure silk stretched across heat proof sheets; any space filled with its presence would become suddenly more atmospheric. The contemporary hanging of Andrew Welch's Heart Series brooches and Jan Bowden's Woven Bangle on canvas stretchers treads nicely at the edge of the debate about craft vs art. Incidentally, the lovely works by both Thomas Buchanan and Annette Vincent also raises questions of this debate as these artists respectively, work in oil on canvas and printmaking, rather than mediums so often associated with craft and design. However, this appears to confirm how the boundaries of craft and art have blurred over the decades.

My only criticism of the show is from an economic point of view in that the works featured retain their commercial value, as craft and design that is highly collectable, yet do so within the context of a small community gallery funded by the City of Burnside. This seems slightly incongruous, begging the question would a commercial gallery have been a more appropriate setting?

Nerina Dunt





Adele Booth
Glove from 'An Imaginary Life' series
glove, felt, chewing gum, beads
Image courtesy Axis Gallery





Jane Robertson
Speckled Field Bowls
porcelain and iron saturated dug clay
Image courtesy Craftsouth