In April 2018, we helped to set up a seminar which explored a connection between basketry and mathematics. This took place at the Byre Theater in St Andrews on the 16th - 17th April 2018. The seminar was attended by a number of academics and professional weavers and was also open to the public.
The days there were separated into skills sessions, individual exploration and open discussions, each of which allowing for the next to be enriched by a greater understanding of the craft and context of weaving.
Mary Crabb, Geraldine Jones, Hilary Burns and Tim Johnson all contributed weaving expertise, and helped people to develop essential skills, which were then explored in a multitude of different ways.
The workshop as a whole contributed to ongoing discussions about the broadening of mathematics as a subject. The patterns and rhythms of weaving involve a type of mathematics which is generally understood physically, rather than through numbers, and is mastered by the repetition of processes and exploration of technique and materiality. There were many fantastic discussions which helped to drive our thoughts in relation to our ongoing explorations.
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