The Basket Maker is a portrait of Mamie Joseph, a Penobscot basketmaker from Indian Island, Old Town, Maine, where there is a long tradition of basket making. While continuing to make utilitarian baskets, nineteenth century basket weavers produced forms that were smaller, more portable, and highly decorated. Recognizing the Victorian fondness for elaboration, baskets were embellished with elegant handles, decorative weaves, dyed splints and sweet grass. These forms have become known as “fancy baskets.”
In The Basket Maker, Gerry has attempted to capture the indelible spirit of one such artist whose art survives as a testament to the beauty of the human spirit.