Meet the Maker: Finn Ferrier’s fantastical knotted sculptures.
Artist Finn Ferrier says his creative process has many strands and can be as simple as taking a walk or as involved as making an object. This talented maker is currently working with single lengths of cotton rope to create intricate vessel sculptures, inspired by the craft of nautical knots. “I am reimagining the decorative pursuits of sailors as a logical progression of their knotwork,” he explains. “These forms reference ceramic vessels but head in their own direction, allowing the materiality of the rope to inform the final outcome.” Finn doesn’t use anything but the rope for his Wharfware series of sculptures, which rely on tension and friction to stay together – it’s a medium he says took him many attempts to learn to work with. “Rope is an extremely old material and all cultures across time have made and used rope, although mostly for practical purposes. I like to think of my rope vessels honouring the very material and connecting me across time.” You can see his works at an upcoming exhibition at the New Zealand Maritime Museum later this year, online at finn-ferrier.net and on Instagram, @finnferrier.
My favourite things: I enjoy walking around my garden with a pair of secateurs carefully removing small branches to reveal the shape of a tree; I trim plants as an exercise to think about form (1). My buttery yellow Crown Lynn mixing bowl made with clay from New Lynn; I love thinking about it being made from earth. (2). Visiting museums and art galleries in person or online; looking at forms informs your eye and tunes your perception to knowing when a composition works or not (3). Kāramuramu is an island in the Hauraki Gulf that has been mined for more than 100 years for its red stone chip, which is used around Auckland on roads and paths; I am always amazed how such a small island features so prominently all over the city’s landscape (4).