some current research
- Associate Professor Phil Waite, Neural Injury Research Unit
- Dr Veena Sahajwalla, School of Materials Science and Engineering
- Louise Hamby, College of Fine Arts
- Paula Dawson, College of Fine Arts
Louise Hamby, College of Fine Arts
Louise Hamby, a lecturer from the School of Design Studies at the College of Fine Arts, has been on leave for two years while she completes her doctorate on Arnhem land fibre in the Anthropology Dept at ANU and the Canberra School of Art. She has been collecting data at both Maningrida and Gapuwiyak in northeast Arnhem Land, supported by a Wenner Gren grant from the United States. However, she has worked for short periods in all the major Arnhem Land communities over the past seven years.
Pandanus being removed from a dyebath made from the roots of Pogonolobus reticulatus
The overall aim of her study is to document and interpret the interconnection between design, function and symbolic meaning of fibre container forms including bags, baskets and mats. Specific goals include:
Substantial research in Arnhem Land concerning material culture, fibrework in particular, has not been completed although there are many excellent studies on painting from the region. To gain a better perspective on the role that fibre has played and continues to play in the social and religious life of the community, an examination of the work in context is necessary. The disciplines of art and anthropology provide different views for analysis of objects. By combining methodologies, a clearer image of the finished works can be obtained; this is enhanced by the investigator being of the same sex as the makers. An additional contribution to the analysis arrives from knowledge of techniques and a background in the making of objects.
Adding in pandanus to increase the diameter of a basket
