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Eugen Herrigel in his famous essay, Zen in the Art of Archery, advances the thesis
that an archer instinctively, through the process of meditation, unites with the process
and materials, until the archer is as one with the flight of the arrow.
An analogy may be drawn between Zen in the art of archery and George Ingham's philosophy of working with wood. The process of resolving problems of design and the selection of materials, is a highly intuitive act which comes out of a lengthy process of practice and meditation. Although the resolution of many of the formal problems of design may rest on an extensive knowledge of technologies and materials, the process itself cannot be reduced to a formula, it is an experience which ultimately cannot be taught, but is intuitively perceived. In each piece, there is what could be described as the creation of a new order, where the function of the object has been considered, a suitable design arrived at and carefully chartered, and the unique properties of each of the materials has been taken into account. The whole object is then resolved in accordance with its own sense of logic, a natural arrangement which has a coherence in its own right. The exhibition, The Box as Container, has been curated by the Head of the Wood Workshop at the Canberra School of Art, George Ingham. He invited about thirty-two ex-graduates from the workshop, present and former members of staff, as well as the final year students, to participate in the exhibition and to design a functional box which could serve to hold specific contents. Eventually, twenty of the artists accepted the invitation and have participated in what has turned out to be quite an extraordinary exhibition. The exhibition is extraordinary for a number of reasons. This is in part, for its sheer varietv, in shape, design, materials and intended contents, and in the variety of artistic personalities assembled. While each of the objects is functional, the purpose of each is not simply to present a utilitarian solution, but to create a new organic reality through which the selected materials comment on the ideas involved. Many of the objects have a beauty and simplicity; a classic simplicity of resolution, where great intricacy has been worked in such a way as not to appear laboured. Mark Woolston's Fan Box is an excellent example of an intricate and exquisite object. He employs elaborate organic forms which are resolved with a reserved simplicity and a touch of humour. A similar comment can be made concerning Lyndall Kennedy's Money Box, where an elaborate concept is pursued with consummate skill and is resolved with a good deal of humour. Many of the artists involved in this exhibition seem to achieve this delicate balance of taking seriously what they endeavour to do, but at the same time being prepared to smile at their proposed solutions. Pru Shaw has achieved some of the most astonishing work at the exhibition in her Writing Box, Batons and Box and For Tea. Her pieces are exquisitely attuned to her use of materials, where every detail has been thought through and yet the finished pieces have an uninhibited sense of ease. The balance between the intended function, to house specific contents, and the design and selection of materials, is frequently a difficult one to achieve. In the case of Steve Davidson's Button Box, Pete Hill's Container for Caulking Mallet, or Mark Lewis' Temple for a Sacred Cow, there is, what could be termed, the tyranny of the concept which seems to dominate the process of the realisation of the object. In Chris Matthews' Container for Fools Gold, cedar, ebony and pyrite, have been brought together. The Baroque exuberance in the variety of materials has been subdued in the design and all of the elements have been elegantly structured, and the whole concept has been subverted with gentle humour. Ian Guthridge's X, Y, and Z, of African wenge, ash veneer and plastic, is one of the
most amazing pieces at the exhibition. In a way it is a virtuoso piece, where a playful
intelligence has set out to find a balance between organic forms and a strict geometric
ordering. The attention to detail and its convincing resolution is most impressive. David Upfill-Brown's Chest of Drawer, Steve Ewyk's Chess Pod and Stuart Bywater's Box of Curves, all add the question of scale in their resolution of the formal problems of design. Frequently it is a quirky tongue-in-cheek inventiveness that gives the work an unforgettable quality. Mary Jean Vickers' CD Cabinet and Roger Gifkins' Folio for Photographs are two of the most refined and classically resolved pieces at the exhibition. The impression of deceptive ease and simplicity disguises the effort devoted to the resolution of detail. Both pieces convey the impact of strong individual artistic personalities, they are statements made by artists who in their work are unencumbered by technical difficulties. George Ingham is represented by two works at the exhibition, a Presentation Box for the ANU Commemorative History and an Arrow Case. The first is reminiscent of a sacred altar, or the medieval Franks Casket, a holy container for the sacred word. The materials are ancient and precious, but in this piece they are now given a new life. The second is made from New Zealand white pine and European ash and serves as a container for Japanese arrows. There is an elegance and simplicity, and while never losing sight of the intended purpose, there is a new and unexpected object created, one which has a great beauty and seems to relate to a new order in nature. In a famous aphorism, Ilya Ehrenburg once noted that "Every master knows that the
material teaches the artist." The artists participating in The Box as Container
exhibition have been well taught by their materials and in their art have created a new
and tangible reality. Sasha Grishin, |