Performative Landscapes: Mini Dry Stone Walling Workshop with Andrew Garner and Florian Kessler

Performative Landscapes brings artists, makers and the public together on the historic grounds of Rosny Farm for an evolving outdoor project centred around the construction of a dry-stone wall. Using stone, earth, movement and physical labour, the project considers how the places around us are made – and how they, in turn, shape the way we move, gather and live. 

A mini dry stone walling workshop invites public participants to encounter architecture and placemaking as active, material led physical processes. Andrew Garner and Florian Kessler who will facilitate the workshop are accredited Dry Stone Wallers and Stone Masons both qualified under the DSWA scheme (UK) and members of the DSWAA. Both based in Tasmania with over 35 years combined experience in traditional drystone and general stone masonry working across private and public projects across Tasmanian and Victoria.

The workshop will be an opportunity for participants to work alongside artisans, trade professionals and geologists to learn basic skills and knowledge through making and exchange.

This is an outdoor event, and patrons are asked to wear closed toe shoes, comfortable clothes that can get dirty along with hat and sunscreen.

Workshop inclusions:

• Qualified and Accredited Artisans (Dry Stone Wallers) & Geologist facilitating workshop

• Lunch & Afternoon Tea & Refreshments (refreshments tea/coffee/water available all day)

• Basic Hand Tool / Hand gloves (or bring own)

• Hand outs to take home

Bio - Andrew Garner

A Tasmanian geologist, dry stone waller, hedge layer and hobby farmer with “rocks in his head…”

Andrew graduated from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in geology in 1994, and awarded First Class Honours in Volcanology in 1996. Andrew has spent many years working in mineral exploration which has taken him to outback Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania in the search for gold, copper, silver, lead and lithium.

Other places visited include New Zealand (volcanology) and Antarctica for a hectic 2017-18 summer season at Davis Station for the Australian Antarctic Division. Very much an “outdoors person” any time spent walking the hills, valleys and bush is to be savoured.

A career in geology was paused for 18 years in order to raise a family, so Andrew learnt new trades: dry stone walling and hedge laying. These ancient traditional trades complimented the Tasmanian landscape and European heritage and saw the creation of “Sticks and Stones” a business partnership with James Boxhall. Skills were added over time to include general masonry, hand-cut lettering, split post and rail fencing and shingle splitting.  When at home, farm and garden duties include raising sheep and chooks, replacing fencing, and managing a heritage cider apple orchard.  Additional hobbies and activities include bush walking, gold and gemstone fossicking, cider making, bad guitar playing and Renaissance sword fighting. Andrew is a member of several interest groups and former committee member for the Dry Stone Walls Association of Australia.

Bio - Florian Kessler

Florian is a Swiss/Australian timber craftsman, builder and traditional dry stone waller specializing in designing and producing traditional timber buildings, furniture and landscape structures for both residential and commercial clients. Florian is passionate about the wilderness and has spent over twenty five years living and working in extreme and remote locations across Switzerland, Canada and Australia. Florian’s individual style and professional practice is steered by the ethos of English Arts and Crafts traditions and designing housing fit for purpose in rural and isolated environments. His custom buildings, objects and structural landscapes are created with integrity, attention to detail and skilled workmanship; and applied sympathetically to heritage provenance and their natural environment. Florian’s approach to making is primarily about quality and longevity from the selection and manufacture of raw materials to the design and finishing of his work. 

Performative Landscapes involves a collective of artists and producers including Natasha Bradley-Cross, Bliss Sandhu, Keryn & Mark Fountain and Florian Kessler.