JO WILSON: OF LINE AND EDGES
06.05.26 - 30.05.26
![Platen 10, 2026 [detail 05] c.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f0bfb6ab648c20c62a0a925/1777983585938-LH12HS1E516IYO6TEJTJ/Platen+10%2C+2026+%5Bdetail+05%5D+c.jpg)
Installation images
OF LINE and EDGES
The timber used in these works originates from my photographer’s former heritage homes in Daylesford and South Melbourne. During a photoshoot, he mentioned he was beginning to clear out these materials from his studio, where they had been stored for many years. Next, we were loading my car with his collection of beautiful old Baltic Pine dado boards and Kauri Pine weatherboards from the 1800s. These timbers carry a strong connection to local history. They have been reworked and reimagined into this new series of wall works. I have loved giving them a second life.
Within this body of work, platen, moulds and industrial components serve as primary references for outlines, borders, and contours. A platen is a flat plate used in machinery and printmaking to apply pressure and hold materials. It is often the heaviest and most critical component of a press, ensuring precision. In metal forming, a platen is the component that houses the mould for forging the required shape, the movable and stationary platens are in the dies (custom, sharp-edged tools) located inside an injection moulding machine. The titles of my recent works reference this essential industrial and printmaking component, marking a connection between its industrial function and my background of over 30 years in printmaking.
After careful laminating and preparation, the timber substrates are layered with wood washes, acrylic paint, pigments, and hand-turned pins. The pins introduce a play of colour, mapped through an open enquiry into the geometry found in nozzles and bolt holes within industrial dies. The sweet spot emerges intuitively, as all elements come into balance.
My aim is to allow the timber to breathe and shine, often leaving large, centred open margins. As much as possible, honouring the marks of time. Boundary lines establish a structural silhouette, holding the composition in place.
Linework is central to the totems. Linear elements define each form, with alternating direction and orientations. These works draw on core principles of form, edge, and contour; referencing the profiles found in industrial tooling and machinery. At the same time, the linear rhythm of the woodgrain plays with our perception, reminding us timber is a living material.
I aim to create works that feel positive to experience. Ideally, the viewer is drawn closer and compelled to touch. Wood, by its nature, invites connection: its scent, surface, and subtle vibration create an object that we’re compelled to connect and engage with.
J/W 2026
