Finn Ferrier
sculpture
sculpture
08/2021
Takarangi Spiral
7mm cotton rope
440 x 410 mm
Takarangi Spiral
7mm cotton rope
440 x 410 mm
I made this after watching a Netflix documentary on mushrooms. When I was making it I was thinking about expanding circles. And as the body expanded it started taking on the shape of a takarangi (the swirling motif found in Maori art; it is the beginning and the end of time.)
Designed to go on the wall.
While making these soft vessels I adhere to a series of rules; one being that the form must take shape in one direction as one continuous line. No chemical bonds, only friction is used to transform the rope into an object.
Designed to go on the wall.
While making these soft vessels I adhere to a series of rules; one being that the form must take shape in one direction as one continuous line. No chemical bonds, only friction is used to transform the rope into an object.
Finn Ferrier
(b.1981) lives in Auckland New Zealand. Ferrier has been exhibiting as an artist since 2002. His practice is focused on the object, story telling, materiality and place.
Ferrier’s Wharfware series began in 2009 as an excercise in exploring the materiality of rope.
This website contains a partial archive of my rope-work, representing one part of my practice.
Contact:
finnferrier@orcon.net.nz
Recent Events/ Exhibitions
2022
Dowse Museum: acquisition of ‘Covid Cup’ for their collection.
NZ Maritime Museum, acquisition of a body of work for their collection (2022)
New Zealand Maritime Museum, Edmonston Gallery temporary exhibition (2022)
Objectspace: Weekly Objects. Series of editioned garlands.
(07-2022)
Soft Landing, Page Galleries, Wellington (02-2022)
Finders, Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui (12-2021 - 05-2022)
2021
Finn Ferrier: Ockham Lecture Series, Objectspace, Auckland
Leading Lights, Masterworks Gallery, Auckland.
Meet The Maker: Finn Ferrier. NZ House & Garden Magazine (April 2021)
Changing Threads 2021 Awards, Arts Council Nelson.
Award Finalist
2020
Finn Ferrier: Soft Garniture. Te Uru Art Gallery, Auckland (2020-2021)
A Few Too Many Hangups,
The Tuesday Club, Auckland
2019
The Nineteen Gallery: Relocating Frances Hodgkins. Auckland Art Gallery (2019)
Wharfware
These rope vessels were originally constructed with idea that they could be made at sea by a sailor, passing time by creating decorative objects for their surrounding. These vessels are the logical progression from the practice of decorative knots.
More recently I have been thinking about my rope works like ceramics. Instead of working with the materiality of clay to express form, I work with rope and the inherent properties of this material. I do not use any chemical bonds. Friction, tension and gravity determine the shapes, along with personal experience and tacit understanding.
These vessels are made in one direction with one piece of rope, with exception to handles, which are applied afterwards.
The conception of this rope-work series originally came about as an exploration of the ‘critique of preciousness’ a central theme in contemporary jewellery where it is the concept and making that determines the value of the object over a material value.
These vessels are intended to reflect a simple and elegant use of rope and rhythmic forms that allude to the processes of making and cyclical time.
++ See Ockham Lecure Series page for a talk on my practice ++
Photography: Sam Hartnett / Finn Ferrier
finnferrier(at)orcon.net.nz
