Member Profile... Julienne Keane
JamFactory member and guide at the Art Gallery of South Australia Julienne Keane.
Long term JamFactory Member, Julienne Keane is an avid collector of ceramics. The Adelaide local invites us into her home, to discuss craft, design and her love of pottery.
Photos by Tamara Mascarenhas.
You’ve been a member with JamFactory for a number of years, how were you introduced to JamFactory and what is it that’s kept you engaged over this time?
I think my father must have introduced me. He was very interested in the arts, especially ceramics. I remember when I left school he took me to Melbourne where we visited a lot of potteries and it was from there that I was captivated. He and I shared this love for pots and would often go to exhibitions, including all those held at JamFactory.
JamFactory is like going into an art gallery but with the possibility of being able to buy something, to bring it back and enjoy it in your own home. The possibility of buying and owning, for me, is the attraction. There’s also something absolutely glorious about where the JamFactory is located, amongst the interesting buildings and architecture, the university and the galleries of the West End precinct.
The staff are also wonderful. Everyone is always so welcoming and warm: it’s a lovely community of creatives, designers and craftspeople.
“JamFactory is a part of my life and a part of the lives of many of us who grew up in Adelaide, and many of those who are guides at the Art Gallery.”
Julienne has been collecting Australian ceramics for years, with a special interest in the Hermannsburg Potters, Helen Fuller and Guy and Martin Boyd.
A pair of vessels by Prue Venables sits along the loungeroom windowsill.
A collection of work by Kirsten Coehlo gathers in the kitchen, mixed with everyday items including a sieve and colander.
Julienne with one of her prized glass pieces by JamFactory Alumnus Drew Spangenberg.
Can you remember the moment you fell in love with art and design? Are there any artists or designers who have shaped your appreciation for this field?
I think I’ve always been in love with it. I grew up in a household where both my parents loved art and pottery. They loved beautiful things and having them arranged all around. I remember my father had a lot of treasured things: works of art, some pots, some paintings, and if we ever moved he would spend a lot of time just musing about where they fitted best. I think I come from an artistic family, an arts appreciating family.
I love pots - I love the finished product, the stoneware, the feel. Certainly the Hermannsburg Potters and the Boyds have shaped my love of pottery. Gwyn Hanssen Pigott is very powerful. I do also love trails of things, I like a lot of things to be together. Gwyn’s work needs to be supported by at least ten others, a collection. Although there does come a time when you run out of space!
“I remember my father had a lot of treasured things: works of art, some pots, some paintings, and if we ever moved he would spend a lot of time just musing about where they fitted best. I think I come from an artistic family, an arts appreciating family.”
Can you talk us through some of your favourite pieces you’ve collected from JamFactory over the years? What is it about them that makes them so special to you?
Australian art and craft has a beauty in the way it represents what is around us everyday, what is familiar. Kirsten Coehlo has had a powerful influence on me because she makes what is ordinary absolutely beautiful. I love her white pottery with the rust. I’ve mixed what I have of hers with actual things like tin moulds and sieves. It’s a mixture of artefacts of the everyday.
I do also love my pieces from Helen Fuller. The first thing I bought from her was a yellow vase with small handles. I loved its fragility! Its fragile but it’s extremely beautiful, and so fine. I bought that and then I thought I‘m very interested in this artist.
Julienne Keane
An avid collector of pottery, Julienne Keane has amassed a large collection of celebrated Australian ceramicists including works by Prue Venables, Milton Moon, Helen Fuller and Bruce Nuske. Julienne has been a member with JamFactory for a number of years, as well as volunteering as a guide at the Art Gallery of South Australia.
To find out more about becoming a Member with JamFactory including exclusive access to events and openings, special discounts and the latest products and news, visit the Membership page on our website.
Julienne at home amongst a few favourite ceramics by Nyakuna Baker, Milton Moon and
Bruce Nuske.