Polly Harrison studied art at the Atlanta College of Art,
but the artwork she created for more than twenty-five
years was focused on the use of "trash" to make a statement
for conservation. Weaving was the technique she applied
to convert folded newspapers, braided nylon thrown out
by a carpet factory, inner tubes, discarded movie and
video film and other refuse into innovative baskets and
three-dimensional wall hangings.
Harrison's creations were influenced by her
independent study of Mayan artisans in Quintana-Roo,
Mexico, and in San Antonio Agua Callientes, Guatemala,
and her further study of Amazonian Folk Arts
at Pernambucu Federal University, Brazil.
Her inventive pieces have been included in major
touring exhibitions such as: Trashformations (organized
by the Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, Washington) and
Re-cycle, Re-use, Re-create (an Arts America exhibition that
traveled to eight African countries as a cultural presentation
of the U.S. Government), in solo and invitational exhibitions
at numerous galleries and universities and in many
public and private collections.
Tired Old Dog Basket 2005
Cut auto rubber innertubes twined
over a welding rod frame, chain and
dog tags added to surface,
Private Collection.
Harrison participated in Artist-in-Residence Programs
sponsored by the South Carolina Arts Commission and the
Georgia Council for the Arts for public schools in those states,
thereby sharing her enthusiasm for what she called the
"adventure of recycling unusual found materials
into art" with both students and teachers.
Martha Connell, Curator
American Basketmaking: Tradition & Innovation,
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 1999
35MM MOVIE FILM Discarded "Previews of Coming Attractions"
Polly found that 35mm movie film, including discarded
"Previews of Coming Attractions" from a local movie theater,
along with outdated 35mm educational filmstrips, and
16mm home movies presented a wonderful material
suited to weaving and plaiting techniques.
Woven window panels of movie images were reinforced
with a folded-film chain technique on the edges.
Three-dimensional baskets were reinforced at the top with
aluminum metal strips. Layers of Plexi-glass were pop-riveted
to the bottom to give extra stability to the base.
The surface of the basket was often decorated
with the traditional technique of quilling to give extra
"Look but don't Touch" interest to the surface.
Bright Star Film Basket, 9x9x36, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport,
2008, Martha Connell, Curator.
Cartoon Window, 29"x43"
Plexi-Film Baskets
Plaited 35mm movie film (Discarded Previews of Coming Attractions), with pop-riveted Plexi-glass Base. Out-takes were bleached in a solution to make clear film to weave some of the images through.
PLAITED 35MM & DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS
The Wedding, 18x18"
Private Collection Using the same plaiting technique that Women Prisoners used to make purses and wallets from cigarette packs, Polly began to experiment with a box of old 35mm photographs as a material. The images split and patterns were made with negative spaces.
Because of the glossy finish to the photographs, it wasn't necessary to put any finish on the pieces. After the photographs were cut in strips, folded and linked together, Polly used heavy cotton cord to sew the strips together.
Polly used the woven photo technique
for one of the last projects she worked on in 2007.
She incorporated digital photograph prints with a
plaiting weaving technique in the center of the piece
that brought a woven image to the surface:
CELEBRATE: Beatrice Wood, 14x14"
The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA
Children and Friends 35x39", Hartsfield-Jackson
International Airport Exhibition,
2008, Atlanta, Georgia
RECYCLED MAIL
When Polly Harrison conducted artist-in-residence programs in schools, a favorite material that they recycled was "Junk Mail". They used it in weavings, collage and with hand-made books. When Polly looked at all the mail she received from Moon Calendars and personal correspondence, the stamps and envelopes were so appealing, she just couldn't toss them. Eventually, she had boxes of stamped envelopes that she tried to find a use for.
The Plaiting Prison Art technique that she used for the edges of the film panels came to mind and she began cutting and working with the envelopes to make a panel so the stamps would make a design. She had planned to use the panel as a floor cloth, but it seemed to migrate up to hanging on the wall.
As an annual project, she saved her mail for a pieces that she called "My Mail"... The pieces were as large as the amount of mail she received during the year, and she wrote her memories of the year on around the edges on the back.
After a few years, she noticed that the "My Mail" pieces were getting smaller. Because of advances in technology, and more people in the world using computers, she found more and more of her communication and orders were online.
My Mail: 2005, Plaited stamps and envelopes, 33x33"
MORE RECYCYCLED MATERIALS
"I am always looking at what our society throws away... Braided nylon rope discarded from a carpet yarn factory, Japanese newspapers from an Asian Market, Videotape cassettes, colorful plastic coated computer cable,
old silk ties from the clothing bank, black rubber auto inner-tubes from the
tire store and extra metal dog tags left over from the city tag office.
Whether it's called Make-Do, Outsider, or EARTH Friendly GREEN ART, using discarded recycle materials as they present themselves, with an appropriate technique that transforms the material into something that surprises and delights the viewer is just what I do and what I've always done." --- Polly Harrison
Grandfather Spider Basket, Twined silk ties over welding rods with rubber innertubes. 35x10.5x10.5"
Private collection.
Copper Curl Basket with 1947 Dog Tags, Knot-less netted plastic coated computer wire over copper electric fence wire core. Brass Chain with found dog tags dated 1947 from Rome, Georgia. 10x5.5x5.5", Private collection.
Commission through the Signature Shop Gallery:
Boardroom Mixed Media Panels with actual company products,
digital photographs, plexi-glass. Superior Essex, Atlanta, Ga.
COLLECTIONS & COMMISSIONS
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Atlanta, GA Superior Essex, Atlanta, Georgia
Colorado Film Festival
Nations Bank, Charlotte
Coca-Cola, Nestle Div., Atlanta
Marietta College of Art, Marietta Ohio
The Lannan Foundation, West Palm Beach
Arts Festival of Atlanta
Georgia Council for the Arts
AVCO Realty, Atlanta
Galleria de Metropolitan, Pernambuco, Brazil
Past Affiliated Art Galleries:
The Signature Gallery \ 3267 Roswell Road, NW, Atlanta, GA 30305 / 404/237-4426
FOUND / Ann Arbor, Michigan
Rome Area Arts Council/ Rome, Georgia
ANNYX GALLERY / Sag Harbour, New York
Major Exhibitions:
"Homecoming - An Exhibit of work by Polly Harrison"
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary
of Chastain Arts Center.
An extensive collection by the Late Polly Harrison,
encompasing more than 30 years of artwork,
and recognized as one of the most
comprehensive collections of
weaving techniques and materials
by a single artist.
The Gallery at Chastain Arts Center,
Atlanta, GA, 9/08-11/08
"Fabrics and Textiles, from Quilts to Lace"
Curated by Milton Shaw,
Dedicated to Polly Harrison,
The Polk County Historical Society Museum,
Cedartown, GA, 6/08-9/08
"FOUND OBJECTS TRANSFIGURED"
Curated by Martha Connell,
Dedicated to Polly Harrison,
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, "T" Terminal,
Atlanta, Ga., 8/07-11/08
Featured Artist, Atlanta Folk & Outsider Art Festival,
The Signature Gallery, 2006
"Miniatures" Swan Coach House Gallery,
Atlanta Historical Museum,
Marianne Lambert, Curator, 2006
Rome Art Coterie 2006 Exhibition, Laura Lieberman Juror,
Rome Area Council for the Arts.
Polly Harrison & Marianne Weinberg Benson at
the Signature Shop, Atlanta, August 2004
"Annyx Exhibition" in Concert with the
Sag Harbour Film Festival, September 2004
"A Night At the Movies" Lost & Found Gallery,
Princeton, N. J., June 2003
"Exhibition" Snyderman Gallery,
Philadelphia, PA, 2002
"Spotlight 2000"
American Crafts Council Juried Exhibition,
Kennesaw State University, 2000
"Trashformations"
Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA,
Curated by Lloyd Herman,
Touring US Museums through 2000
"American Basketmaking: Tradition & Innovation"
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts,
Gatlinburg, TENN, curated by Martha Connell, 1999.
"Re-cycled, Re-Use, Re-Create"
US Information Office,
New York Arts Council,
Touring eight countries in Africa 1995-97
Solo Exhibitions... Gallerie de Metropolitan, Escolinha de Arte, Pernambuco Federal University, Recife, Pernambuco Brazil, Partners of the Americas; The Signature Shop, Atlanta;
Middle Georgia College; Emmanuel Arts Center;
Georgia Southern University
Other Exhibitions... Banaker Gallery, San Francisco;
Twinings Gallery, New York; Perimeter Gallery, Chicago;
Galleria Mesa, AZ; Textile Arts Center, Chicago
WEBSITE COLLECTIONS & REFERENCE
Georgia Council for the Arts, Governor's Permanent Collection http://www.thegaartcollection.org/
Southern Arts Federation http://southernartistry.org/
Fibre Arts Design Studio, LLC, Ojai, California http://www.fibrearts.net
Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, California http://www.beatricewood.com/
Aluminous Publishing, Recycled Art & Crafts http://luminouspublishing.com/index.php
PUBLICATIONS & MEDIA
Found Object Art 2, by Tina Skinner, Schiffer Publishing, Philadelphia, January 2009, Featured Artist.
Found Object Art, by Dorothy Spencer, Schiffer Publishing, Philadelphia, 2002, Featured Artist.
The Metal Craft Book, by Janice Eaton Kilby
and Deborah Morgenthal, Lark Books, New York, 2000. Contributing Designer for three projects: Recycled Aluminum, bowl, box, and wearable art.
THE New Photo Crafts, by Suzanne J. E. Tourtillott,
Lark Books, New York, 2001.
Contributing Designer for Film Frame Project.
Making the New Baskets, Jane LaFerla, Lark Books, New York, 1999. Contributing Designer for Newspaper Basket.
Carol Duvall Show, HGTV, Demonstratation of Plating a recycled 35mm Movie Film Basket, with New Mexico artist, John Garrett, taped at Arrowmonth School of Arts and Crafts and aired 1999
Craft in America: Celebrating the Creative Work of the Hand, Phyllis George, Summit Press, 1993. Featured Artist.
NEWSPAPER and Magazine ARTICLES "Homecoming at Chastain"
By Cathy Fox, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sept. 17, 2008.
Featured Artist in article for Polk County Historical Society Exhibit, Polk County Paragon Magazine, May/June 2008.
"2007: In Remembrance of Metro Atlantans"
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta, GA
Published on Dec. 30, 2007.
"Polly Harrison, turned discards into lauded art"
By Kay Powell, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
Sept. 24, 2007.
"Found Art: One Person's Trash is Another's Art Materials"
by Laura Martin, Atlanta Homes And Lifestyles,
April 1995.
"American Artist Re-Cycles With Japanese Newspaper," The Yomuri America, Tokyo, Japan, October, 1992.
"Artist Weaves Throwaways Into Treasures" Actor Cordell,
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 1989.
"Curso de Tacelagen tera Inicio no Recife" Diario de Pernambuco,
Recife, Brazil, March 1986.
"Inside-Outside" Mona Garvey, Creative Person, 1985.
"Faux for Faux Sake" In Fashion Magazine,
Alexander Polakov and Joe Solce,
New York, March/April 1987.
"Handmade Masterpieces" Laura Lieberman,
Atlanta Magazine, December 1984.
"Hammock of the Yucatan" Polly Harrison,
Goodfellow Review, Berkeley, California, April 1981.
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