Marion Gaemers considers herself a basket maker, continuing the traditions of women using traditional techniques and plant fibre to create her work. She mainly uses plant fibres collected from Townsville gardens but she has been influenced by our contemporary life style introduce manufactured waste materials (beach and urban flotsam) into her work. Also her baskets are not traditional shapes but are more sculptural forms. In her work, she is interested in the relationships of humans and other animals with their environment and often her baskets are modelled on things she sees in nature. As Marion mainly uses plant material, she enjoys the fact that the works will not last forever and will eventually deteriorate and be returned to the garden.
Marion has been active within the art world since 1988 being involved in exhibiting her work in local and national exhibitions as well as conducting workshops for various organisations. Teaching others these traditions and working collaboratively with others is an important part of her art making. As part of Flying Arts (1996 and 2003), she has been to regional Queensland conducting workshops including, Thursday Island, Darnley Island and Papua New Guinea. She also was employed by the Broken Hill Art Gallery (2000) for workshops in regional NSW for a week and visited various communities there. As part of Ghostnets Australia (2010 - 2014), she has been conducting workshops at Moa Island, Mornington Island, Darnley Island, Bamaga and Cairns.
Marion Gaemers considers herself a basket maker, continuing the traditions of women using traditional techniques and plant fibre to create her work. She mainly uses plant fibres collected from Townsville gardens but she has been influenced by our contemporary life style introduce manufactured waste materials (beach and urban flotsam) into her work. Also her baskets are not traditional shapes but are more sculptural forms. In her work, she is interested in the relationships of humans and other animals with their environment and often her baskets are modelled on things she sees in nature. As Marion mainly uses plant material, she enjoys the fact that the works will not last forever and will eventually deteriorate and be returned to the garden.
Marion has been active within the art world since 1988 being involved in exhibiting her work in local and national exhibitions as well as conducting workshops for various organisations. Teaching others these traditions and working collaboratively with others is an important part of her art making. As part of Flying Arts (1996 and 2003), she has been to regional Queensland conducting workshops including, Thursday Island, Darnley Island and Papua New Guinea. She also was employed by the Broken Hill Art Gallery (2000) for workshops in regional NSW for a week and visited various communities there. As part of Ghostnets Australia (2010 - 2014), she has been conducting workshops at Moa Island, Mornington Island, Darnley Island, Bamaga and Cairns.