Fetish Album

Ian White was a master leather craftsman who operated his own Adelaide-based studio from 1972. He was appointed Master Craftsman in 1978 at Jam Factory design centre for over a decade. He then took up the position of Senior Lecturer in Leather and Mixed Media at the Canberra School of Art, now known as Australian National University (ANU).

He studied and worked in Wales, Ireland, Italy, Canada and the United States of America which caused a turning point in his technique away from the production of functional works, towards an exploration in the freedom of sculptured leather and material led making. Fetish Album is an example of his sculptural work and series of ‘rack’ that the artist was making during the mid-80s.

The artist described his piece,

'I can't take credit for its movement and plasticity - that's ‘Nature.’ […] the leaves of rawhide twisted and moved all of their own volition. Since rawhide is a hugely strong material, I was pleased that the rack had been constructed in such a way as to withstand that pressure.

This piece is displayed in many configurations (upside down, on its end, on its side, on and off a mirror.' – Ian White