Vessel 6 - Holding Place

Materials: coated copper wire,copper strip
Dimensions: 22.5" x 9"

This vessel has been loom woven with coated copper wire, and copper strip using a bound weaving technique.

Photo credit: Fran Solar

Frances D Solar
Garibaldi Highlands, BC. Canada

Frances has been a traditional weaver & textile artist for many years, and applying the same techniques & ideas to industrial materials is a natural progression of her work.She began working with copper as its
warm color has always attracted her. Copper wire is easily available in many colors, and just like traditional fibers it is flexible,can be manipulated, patinated etc. She now has more freedom to design & improvise on the loom as she weaves & the resulting wire cloth can be shaped into a sculptural form that has no real function other than being something beautiful with wonderful colors, and textures .She names them ‘vessels’ rather than ‘baskets’ as the latter word implies a function.

Fran is mostly self taught as a weaver, but her B of Interior Design , U of Manitoba gave her an excellent training in color and design. In 1995, ’97 &’ 99 she attended Basket Focus Conferences in Toronto & the Okanagan, taking workshops with John Garrett, Dorothy Gill Barnes, Arline Fisch, all of whom set her off in exciting new directions.


These containers and vessels definitely hold their place in the world of stunning art objects as well as in the world of metalsmithing.

Since the dawn of time humans have created containers to hold things that were important to them, from large vessels to hold food and harvests to intimate containers for small precious things. They might hold memories, ashes, medicine, beverage, fruit or food - but all spring from the imagination and skill of the maker. Some have specific religious functions, some are meant for everyday use. When one thinks of a vessel or container the inclination is to think of something with solid walls - yet many of these works involve the exploration of positive and negative space, and the use of negative space to help create the illusion of the wall of the vessel.

As the world’s largest jewelry related internet site, Ganoksin strives to develop exhibitions showcasing work from around the world. This exhibition was open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner. Participants are from The Netherlands, the USA, Canada, Australia, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Colombia, Romania, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia and Denmark. While most of the pieces are by an individual metalsmith, some are collaborations, one of three artists spanning 50 years.

In total 319 artists contributed 729 show pieces for the permanent online exhibition.

Objects in the exhibition include boxes, lockets, urns, ash containers, bowls, wine cups, reliquaries, match holders, vases, teapots, pitchers, sugar bowls, baskets, nests, pillboxes, clutches and a range of sculptural forms. A variety of techniques are showcased covering a wide range of metalsmithing techniques. Materials used include everything from gold and silver to less expensive metals. Ornamentation includes the addition of enamel, chasing and repousse’, gemstones and found objects.

The exhibition was curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths in the United States, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world’s largest internet jewelry site.