Artists turn ordinary into extraordinary at Mundaring Art Centre

SEEING beauty in unexpected places and repurposing objects for the greater good comes naturally to artists.

But for those of us who would appreciate a little guidance, a wealth of inspiration is not far away.

Don’t Jettison Everything explores the way in which artists create value from the discarded and make new from old.

Kalamunda artist Mikaela Castledine is the curator of the quirky new exhibition at Mundaring Arts Centre.

The theme is drawn from Castledine’s recent experience of downsizing elderly parents from their house of 50 years.

“Working through cluttered rooms, cupboards and sheds and deciding what items should be saved or sold or scrapped is a salutary process,” she said.

“Seesawing uncomfortably between vowing to not hoard belongings in the same way but finding yourself unable to part with certain things, forces an assessment of the monetary, historical, personal or aesthetic worth of each object if it is not to be jettisoned.”

Work by Castledine and other centre artists is featured at various stages of their careers.

To complement the theme, work by local primary schoolchildren created for this year’s environmental art project is on display in the second gallery.

The project theme of “plastic pollution: reducing our footprint and caring for our planet” reinforces reasons for the ban on single-use plastic bags.

Students translated their learning into colourful designs and 16 of the artworks will be made into town banners later this year.

What: Don’t Jettison Everything

Where: Mundaring Arts Centre

When: Until September 16