See the work of six innovative Australian makers expanding material practice as an act of ‘making good’ at Alternative Provisions, now showing at Craft Victoria. 

Underpinning each maker’s process in this exhibition is the consideration of material longevity and life cycle, with a central commitment to reuse and repair.

‘Exhibitors focus on extending the utility of materials and increasing the usage of resources,’ explains Eliza Tiernan, curatorial and programs manager at Craft Victoria. ‘They each experiment with unexpected and or discarded matter and look at how alternatives can be incorporated alongside or used in place of more traditional materials.’

Each of the works on show features foraged material (both organic matter or discarded waste product), transformed to offer production alternatives, as well as a means to tell new stories.

Works in Alternative Provisions include Jessie French’s bioplastic vessels transformed from sawdust; a weaving installation made with recycled yabby nets by Yu-Fang Chi; Narelle White’s alternative clay revolution using organic matters including food and grains; James Walsh’s Anthropic Lamp series made with locally-sourced soil and repurposed recycled glass (a retake on the rammed earth process that dates back to 5000 BC); Ella Saddington’s experimental work turning excess denim into functional furniture; and the ground-breaking exploration of bio-textile using microorganisms from nutrient-rich food waste by textile artist Alexi Freeman.

As an organisation that champions local makers, Craft Victoria sees promotion of expanded material practice with a focus on conscious consumption as their responsibility. 

‘It is integral that we continue to look for better and more environmentally conscious materials. Makers are not only explorers, but they are also consumers. Their choices of material have lasting implications and influence on consumer culture,’ says Eliza. 

Presented as part of Melbourne Design Week and Craft Victoria’s ‘Rethinking Materials’ hero program, Alternative Provisions joins the broader conversation on the environmental implications of human presence and the revaluation of our actions. 

Alternative Provisions
Thursday February 10 – Saturday March 26, 2022
Craft Victoria
Watson Place, Melbourne