Freehand / Gallery

JEANNE OSTER

Jeanne takes a unique approach to basketry, adapting a craft that has for centuries been ubiquitous and practical and moving it more towards pure art. Her pieces are as likely to be sculptural as vessel-like; each has as its core a teneriffe, a ring which surrounds carved jade or polished stones, rough wood burls or found objects. The pine needles she uses in her baskets are collected from all over California, both from city streets and parks as well as the foothills of the Sierras. This juxtaposition of unusual materials adds to each piece's beauty, but it is the paths that the coiled fibers take on their journey around the centers that make each basket truly unique. Indeed, one of Jeanne's goals is to encourage the appreciation of the process as well as the product. Jeanne's art background is rooted in graphic design and she holds a BA in studio art from Stanford University. Prior to concentrating her efforts on basketmaking she spent many years teaching art appreciation at elementary schools in Southern California, where she instructed both docents and students. In September 2004 Jeanne held her first show, 'Out of the Woods,' at The Artery in Davis, California. Each year since 2003 she has taken place in Davis' annual juried show 'Small Works.' Her pieces have been shown at galleries in La Jolla, Monterey, and Nantucket, and are currently on display in Silver City, New Mexico and in Los Angeles, Davis, and Winters, California.

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JEANNE OSTER