by Alex Sorrels

River rock, filbert contorta, maple tree bark

artist statement - Topographia Walla 2024:

When I heard the challenge was going to be based on the topography of the valley, I had just completed a delicate excavating task which required hand digging 3-4 feet into the ground underneath the stretching roots of a 50 plus year old pine tree.

During that experience I dug up a lot of rocks…. I mean like a lot.

I felt a strange inclination to incorporate rocks as a foundation to my collection.

I wanted to jump back to my roots of weaving with more organic material. I harvested bark from my maple tree the year prior when the sap was high and thought this material would suit this briefing best. I wanted to also include some nonorganic material such as the  gold wire and floss as a bright contrast to the darker earth tones. 

We live in such a digital world with plastic that’s often the solution for everything, I wanted to bring the attention of the viewer back to the earth, back to their surroundings, back to the outskirts, back to topographia Walla.

about the maker:

Alexandria Sorrels of Fiber & Fuzz Studio creates unique handcrafted baskets from her home studio in Walla Walla, WA. Dyeing the rattan before weaving each piece, her baskets are versatile gems perfect for everyday use.

*please note, colors may appear different based on monitor settings.