For our latest Heritage Crafts Q&A, we spoke with Jenny Crisp — willow grower and basket maker with nearly four decades of experience working at the intersection of land, material and tradition. From her formative apprenticeship in the 1980s to growing her own willow and now collaborating with her daughter through Willow With Roots, Jenny’s work reflects a deep respect for craft, environment and the rhythms of making. In this interview, she shares her journey into basketry, the realities of sustaining a traditional craft today, and why these skills still matter.
1 - How did you first discover willow growing and basket making, and what drew you to this craft?
Both parents were very practical, my strengths at school were the same so I ended up doing a BA Hons in woven textiles. Loved the rhythms of weaving but missed an out door life. Wrote my thesis on the willow growing industry in the 80's and through this came in contact with a basket maker called David Drew, who at the time was a highly regarded grower and maker. I visited him and his wife in Somerset who were almost self sufficient in willow and food and had renovated a beautiful traditional cob house. I decided this was the life for me so wanted to when invited to revisit I jumped at the offer.
2 - Can you tell us about your apprenticeship with David Drew and how it shaped your approach to working with willow?
I arrived in David's life when he was working on a massive commission to build the first UK touring exhibition of a solo basket maker. He was being funded by the Crafts Council. Such funding for basket making was unheard of during this time. At the same time I applied and received an apprentice award from the crafts council to work with David for 1 year. I don't think that there has ever been any other 1 year sponsored apprenticeship since. Much to my dismay. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
I got to experience a complete season learning what to grow, how to grow, harvest and store willow. David was very clear to teach the fundamental language of how to bulild in willow. He was fully aware that training used to be for 3 years. We had one year, his teaching was incredibly precise and thorough. He had a terrific respect for the material, the environment it was grown in, the long established traditions of the craft and the people who performed it and the ways that society depended on it. It was certainly a rare education for a young girl of 22 and influenced my perspective on life and work very much. I will be forever grateful to him for this experience at this time. He was one of those very special people.
3 - You've worked independently for decades and now with your daughter Issy as Willow With Roots — how has that collaboration changed or expanded your work?
A big question. Our collaboration has changed and broadened my approach to working with willow and all the tradition that comes with it. Issys ambition, young energy, and diverse approach has significantly changed the way I see my craft. Having spent 32 years working this indigenous, home grown material, making objects that have significant roots and references to the traditions of our craft my biggest realisation was that tradition is something that moves with the times. The technicalities of the craft have to move with the times otherwise our jobs only exist for prosperity which for me don't make sense. I need my job to feel like it's a real job. Eg. If I were to make a batch of willow lampshades 20 years ago I don't think there would have been a market for them, now much of our most exciting work is for the lighting industry. The construction and weave used in lighting can be very different to that of a hard working log basket. In lighting we can challenge the boundaries set by tradition to create a new language with willow. Issy and I challenge each other perspectives all the time and it wonderful to be in a dynamic where we influence each others ways of working within this craft.
4 - Willow is a natural material with unique qualities — how important is it to grow your own willow, and how does that inform your work?
England has a thriving willow growing industry but growing our own gives us much more respect for the land, material and process which in turn influences how we perform our craft. It gives a way of life that is intrinsically linked to mother nature and its rhythms. She is something not to be controlled but understood. All of this I find very grounding. Also, we can also grow variaties that are not available commercially giving us a broader palette of wood, dimension, patina and colour.
5 - What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about traditional basketry and willow work?
That it is not a real job! Where the material comes from, the knowledge and experience needed to produce it. The time it takes to become experienced enough to perform it as a proper job that can pay the mortgage and raise your children.
6 - You also teach classes and courses — what do people most struggle with or enjoy when learning willow weaving?
People struggle mostly with understanding how to control this rather recalcitrant material and how to prepare it for use. The soaking process and the patterns and construction can be written in a book but the experience and language that needs to happen between maker, material and object can only come through repetition as you get to know the material and its boundaries. Most peoples lives move too fast to find time to repeat processes and object many times over so much is lost in our learning.
The joy is when some one gets an element of this on a course and goes home feeling as though they have learnt so much. Another joy is when a student experienced or not begins the repetitive part of the weave, the over under process. This repetition is what grabs people, there is something innate in this process, the rhythm seems to lock us into a place we ned to be. I am an a happy person if I can weave alone for say 3 days week, its time of thoughts and emotions settling into where they need to be. Something I think lots of us need.
7 - Looking ahead, what do you see as the future for traditional crafts like willow basketry? Are there opportunities for young makers to keep these skills alive?
For as long as I have been weaving basketmaking and willow growing has been a growing craft. However, in the last 5 years I cannot believe how willow has made its way into so areas of our lives, education, environment, fashion, interiors, gardens. So many more people are wanting to grow willow for the various qualities it has to offer. Over the last 4 decades lots of budding makers have managed to turn growing and making with willow into a real job. Another wonderful thing is that the children of this generation of makers are also beginning to move into the profession full-time. The down side is that there is no funded long term training available to support the current passion for growing and making which is why the next generation seem to be second generation basket makers as we are happy to offer unfunded training our children. The successful makers from my generation are the ones who have benefited from some kind of professional training. This type of funded training is undervalued.
Images courtesy Jenny Crisp.
You can find out more about Jenny, Issy and Willow with Roots here.