Lakemont Gallery Home - Shop Various Artists Online
Peggie Wilcox Baskets:
Handmade from Natural fibers she harvests from nature.
Her work is to be included in an exhibition at the
Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC in October, 2013
Artist Statement and Bio.
by Peggie Wilcox
For me there is something elemental and almost magic about the whole process of creating structures from plants. Weaving containers from plant materials has been a part of the human experience from our beginning and I love having a small part in this constantly evolving form of self expression. Modern conveniences such as bags and boxes have freed basketmakers from the constraints of neccessity. We're able to push the limits of tradition and function in more sculptural directions if we so choose, or to revel in the beauty and integrity of those limits. I don't seem to quite be able to choose between the purely traditional and sculptural and I feel that much of my work is a hybrid of both.
The plant materials I use are renewable, sustainable, non-toxic, beautifully colored and some are extremely fragrant. They hold unending fascination and inspiration for me and continue to challenge me even after 28 year of working with them. My seasonal rituals of gathering and processing my plant materials are an integral part of each basket I make and every class I teach.
I have two grown daughters, Ivy lives in Clayton, GA and Jes lives in Sidney, Australia. I grew up and spent most of my life in farm country in central Iowa where my sisters and their families and my parents still live. In 2005, I moved to Franklin, NC, then moved to Lakemont, GA in 2009 where I have my studio. I travel all over the United States to teach basket making for guilds, conferences and Art and Craft schools. I also sell my baskets through local galleries.