A Twist of Faith
Inspired by our rattan ‘doodle knots’ suspended in the shop front window, I was commissioned by the newly opened Gardener’s House to create a natural fibre construction of rattan cane; serving as both sculptural light shade and an aerial home for a collection of Cornish grown Tillandsia.
Positioned high within the stairwell and in close proximity to the lineal geometry of the new window, ‘A Twist of Faith’ is an expression of the ever whirling, spinning energy that is life itself.
The work is a continuation of the expressive language of support and enfolding developed for our RHS Chelsea Gold Medal exhibit – ‘ A Room to Dance’ – an aerial planting installation in which a significant part was the inclusion of sinewy lengths of rattan cane that twisted and looped throughout the space; not only lending support for vining plants, but also adding playful and poetical expression.
With a particular love for vines and their meandering habits, I am continuing to explore ways in which to support and suspend not just trailing stems, but epiphytic plants too. A small collection of woven rattan pieces, some of which can cradle pots, support climbing stems or hold air plants are available to view and commission online.
Rattan cane is sustainably harvested through Asia from the fast growing stems of Asian jungle palms (aka liana vines), of which there are over 600 genera, but much of it comes from Calamus genus. Once soaked and stripped of its outer skin, the central core is durable and strong, possessing a wonderful malleability and expressive curl. This enables its manipulation into sculptural pieces in their own right, but also into structures in which plants can inhabit and climb. This is an entire reversal of the palm’s natural tendency to climb and support itself on jungle flora, often smothering and overwhelming many other species. Harvesting this renewable material keeps it in check, provides income, creates only minimal disturbance to the forest and is totally biodegradable.
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Air plants supplied by Andy’s Air Plants
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