Being Launceston (Tasmania) born and bred, I love to go back from time to time to visit the remaining family there.  I always enjoy this beautiful city founded in 1806, with buildings dating from 1824 still in use today.  From the classical Georgian period,  the city is often favourably compared to Bath UK.   I certainly didn’t really appreciate its beauty when I was growing up … and opted out of history classes just as soon as I could to escape a highly boring teacher that I would have done well to heed more.

One of the must-do things is always to visit the Tasmanian Design Centre at the corner of Tamar and Brisbane Streets, tucked into a corner of the City Park.  There are always interesting exhibitions of well designed and  made Tasmanian fine craft, often featuring wood and ceramics, but metal and jewellery making, textiles, paper and other fibres get a good look in, too.  The building began life as a church, but for many years now has housed the centre, and each time the building is renovated (tastefully) more vestiges of the original function disappear from view.

On a visit late in late July last year, I found a stunning exhibition of paper forms by prominent Tasmanian paper maker Joanna Gair, and was hopeful of writing a post that might have been published before the show ended, but alas, permission from the centre to publish a couple of photos I took was so long forthcoming that the time for that passed.  So of course in the intervening months I seem to have lost the notes I’m sure I did make of exactly which two pieces these lovely paper sculptures are; and if the centre or Joanna let me know the titles I will edit them in to this post appropriately – and with apology for that, I present them untitled: 

Joanna Gair - freestanding sculptural form, 16cm approx.

Joanna Gair - low relief sculptural form, framed, title not known. Approximately 25cm diameter

On her website, Joanna describes the exhibition:  “Interleaves” My first solo exhibition, featuring sculptural works which explore themes of provenance, tradition and the minutia of Tasmanian plant life”.    I had a sense she has some scientific background but that just could be the result of focused and long term involvement in her craft and adopted environment, as her work certainly exudes passion for what she sees around her and the forms her inspiration take.  In the exhibition brochure Joanna tells how these appealing, organic- feeling works are of hand made paper that she produces from Tasmanian plant fibres combined with recycled cotton and linen rag.  She pays careful attention to environmentally sound practices at all stages of her production, including ethically sourced timber for handmade frames.  She sounds busy – a visit to her website shows an array of paper products that are marketed through the design centre and corporate and government agencies – a studio visit would be a valuable experience some time.

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