Artfully woven from the finest strands of willow
- Mary is a specialist in weaving skeins, which are very narrow ribbons of willow
- She is particularly drawn to the traditional technique of English square work, unique to the UK
- Her interest in woven fish traps started not from the baskets themselves but from the zoological behaviour of fish
Mary Butcher’s basket-making career emerged from a serendipitous misunderstanding. Seeing baskets on people’s arms in Canterbury in the late 1970s, she set out to find the maker to buy one for herself. “He misunderstood why I was there and readied himself to teach me, whereas I only wanted to be a shopper, so I politely learnt.” This was the beginning of Mary's lifelong journey with basketry. Now recognised with an MBE, her work has led her to meet royalty, to have a residency at the V&A, and much more. With her studies in Zoology at Oxford University, and her master’s research on the ecology of a wetland in the USA, Mary’s wide-ranging creativity and expertise are present in each weave of her work. Her baskets each tell a tale, celebrating traditional techniques, or provoking a rethink on tradition.
Interview
- Where do you draw your inspiration from?
- New ideas come at odd times and places. They are frequently based in some way on techniques or forms that I have experience with, but then the work develops and diverts in new directions, new to that moment and place of work.
- What was the first object you ever made?
- I made a small basket from buff willow for blackberry picking. It was not shapely, but I loved making it. Thirty years later, it succumbed to overuse. My second basket was a gift for my parents to hold sandwiches and a thermos.
- What draws you to the materials that you work with?
- Many aspects, from availability to the texture of the stem or leaf. The smell can often be important, too. Certain willows are deliciously scented, fresh and spicy with a touch of resin, while cedar bark is rich. All senses come into play.
- What does 'well made' mean to you?
- This is partly in the eye of the beholder and partly involves techniques. Traditional willow baskets should be neat, and that precision is a pleasure to craft and to see. In exploratory work, discordant notes are woven in to break that flow of regularity or to provoke questions.
Mary Butcher is a master artisan: she began her career in 1977 and she started teaching in 1980
Where
Mary Butcher
