Jamie Temple, for this exhibition Unfinished Baskets, is showing linocuts that are an evolving series of prints that sit somewhere between research, material study, and finished work. He says: “They draw on ideas and forms that continue to surface across my wider practice: structures that interact with natural forces such as wind and water, or in some ways act as visual references to the complex systems we move through and our attempts to control and channel them. The forms in the prints are drawn directly from the physical willow objects made while on a residency at Studio459 Tomar, capturing them part way through their making. The flag is scaled up from one of these linocuts — its movement in the wind in some ways echoing the intended use of the physical forms influencing the prints: shapes designed to catch wind or move through water, extending these ideas into a shifting, kinetic object much like many of my sculptures.
During the residency, I became increasingly interested in basketry and working with willow. Surrounded by woven objects in the house and studio, and wanting to explore the craft of basketry while making use of leftover willow available. I began experimenting and reverse‑engineering baskets and other woven forms to work out their construction and some of the techniques used to make them. The slow, deliberate process of carving the lino blocks became a way of actively committing basket‑weaving techniques to memory: translating the gestures, patterns, and sequences of weaving into carved marks. They are ‘sketches’ of the physical objects; prints that carry traces of that material process and ground themselves in the movements of new skills developed during this period of research.
Jamie is an artist, educator, and curator with a practice grounded in relief printmaking and wood carving. Across works on paper, carved wooden sculpture, and mixed media installation, he draws from the built and natural environments we inhabit, traverse, and shape. His recent projects explore the interplay of dynamic systems — environmental, social, planetary, and human made — and how these structures influence our lives and surroundings. Informed by research, material exploration, and hands-on experimentation, his work opens up conversations around sustainability, ecological awareness, and the interconnectedness of all living things. Through these themes, he invites viewers to consider their relationship with the natural world and their role in shaping the futures we are moving towards.