Merging craftsmanship with contemporary art to create an experimental cross-pollination of artistry, 11 collaborating artists have brought together their individual expertise to form the Collide + Divide exhibition at the Craft ACT Gallery.  

Emerging South Australian artist, Francesca Sykes, has joined her JamFactory associates to contribute her furniture designing skills in attempting to redefine the traditional craftsmanship, bringing the artform into the 21st century.

“Each associate has their own set of specialised craft skills. Put together, we’ve experimented at the studio with traditional techniques to create something new,” Sykes said.

“We basically put everyone’s name into a hat and paired off different artists together. I was paired with Sam Gold, who is a ceramics artist and we experimented with ceramics techniques with some woodworking techniques that we had been working on separately, and combined our practices.

“That’s where the exhibition name comes from, we’re colliding different practices together to find a really interesting outcome.”

With five separate groups, they divided then collided their expertise to form a creative masterpiece. Collide + Divide is a mix of traditional and contemporary artforms, working together to create something completely unseen before.

The exhibition is a beautiful opportunity to gain insight into traditional craft practices across Australia, Sykes said, and she’s excited to be putting forward art that is “hopefully really new”.

She and Gold delved into the process of creating new textures, and together designed two functional objects that are both light forms. Extremely proud of her latest pieces, Sykes said they’re such unique and beautiful objects.

“It’s really great to be able to put this work together. It’s really a display of our time at the JamFactory together,” Sykes smiled.

“I’m excited about the opening. It’s really fantastic seeing what all the groups have put together with such a mix of disciplines.

“In another group, jewellery designer Polly Dymond and furniture designer Duncan Young combine raw copper weaving techniques into seats, creating something really contemporary with it.”

The Collide + Divide exhibition is open from Thursday 19 May until Saturday 2 July at the Craft ACT Gallery, Civic.

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