Aspen Golann
'Group Work'
Interrogating the history of agriculture, labour exploitation, domestic power dynamics, and the legacy of fine furniture, the artist weaves together an allegory for the under-appreciated in the form of an Appalachian wedding broom imbued with ornate details. Each component challenges historical hierarchies, standing as a symbol for collective labour and for our capacity to sweep something better into being.
Group Work, 2024
680 x 1600 x 750 mm
Hard maple, brass, broomcorn and waxed linen
Trained in 17th- and 19th-century woodworking, Aspen Golann explores gender and power through the lens of American furniture forms. A teacher at the Rhode Island School of Design, she also founded ‘The Chairmaker’s Toolbox’, an initiative to create pathways for marginalised makers into traditional craft practices.
"At first, you think about the broom form as being something pretty simple, but for Aspen, it’s rooted in a deep knowledge of tradition."
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