Upcoming exhibition to showcase found objects' new lease on life

Found objects take on new life and meaning at Noosa Regional Gallery from May 11 to June 17.

Miles Allen has been searching for and gathering objects for many years. Influenced by his travels and work in remote Aboriginal art centres, he encourages viewers to look again and to re-think their relationships to everyday items.

“The diversity of items I’ve encountered has seen me bring together old flattened rusty tins, the weathered textures of old fence posts and re-formed discarded wire,” says Mr Allen.

These objects bring with them a history and are layered with meaning for Mr Allen. In particular, his use of fence posts and wire raises questions about boundaries, ownership and possession. Mr Allen orchestrates this eclectic mix of objects to tell his own stories about country and human interaction. Old objects are brought together in new configurations and are added to in careful and deliberate ways to create new works of art.

“The range of objects that Miles brings together are somehow similar in their scarred surfaces and weathered patina,” says Gallery Director, Michael Brennan. “They are various, however, in their individual histories and purposes, before being fashioned into art.

“Miles uses a lightness of touch whereby he alters his found objects just enough to draw out a particular reading or meaning. He leaves us wondering about our own connection to and attitude towards our land, our country and its inhabitants.”

Have you ever wondered... opens at Noosa Regional Gallery at 6pm on Friday, May 11.

The exhibition runs until June 17, 2018.

Entry to the Gallery is free.

For details about upcoming workshops and artist talks, visit the Gallery’s website.

9 May 2018