Cultivating Slow-Making

Curated by Annette Nykiel

Slow-making is taking time to notice and to care for people, place and the materials of making. To cultivate is care for, nurture and encourage the complex relationships between people, plants, animals and the soils that sustain all of us on Earth. Hence, cultivating slow-making is a process of creating new works through the exchange of ideas and knowledge, materials, technical skills, and scientific inquiry while nurturing long term relationships. An ongoing engagement with people, materials and skills grounded in connection, care, and sharing.

Many slow-makers ground their practice in field-based walking, taking time to notice and to care for their local environment and bring attention to the wider ecology. Much of the work of cultivation is done in learning about the local environment, the soil, the seeds and their needs and preparing for the best possible conditions for thriving. In this sense, cultivation is process-based and relies on the skills and knowledge of the cultivators to communicate and bring about the changes that germinate healthy individuals.

Slow-making artists are cultivators and are often called upon to become mentors for new and emerging artists and to facilitate and teach programs and skills to the wider public while embracing social change. The artists in this exhibition have a long history of cultivating art as teachers, artsworkers, mentors and workshop facilitators. These selected artists consider the ways they cultivate their practice within the current environment to produce intimate new works that respond to the theme of Cultivating slow-making.

The 3D works in this show use new and recycled materials including textiles, wire and found objects.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Nien Schwarz, Caitlin Stewart, Martien van Zuilen, Annette Nykiel, Kerrie Argent ,Tania Spencer, Tineke van der Eecken, Deidre Robb, Dianne Strahan and Lea Taylor