Find and save : transfiguring the found object

'Find and Save' refers to the activity of collecting objects, which we all do as humans in our daily existence. My interest in collecting comes from the desire to use found objects to make images with, and to explore their material qualities. Part of this exploration is to 'transfigure' the surface of the object as a trace, an impression, using printing ink and etching press to create the mirror image onto paper. By doing this I reveal and re-present something of the history of the object via its surface. For this studio investigation I developed a set of rules to limit the collection to road signage and other scrap metal that I found on the roadside or that people had given me. I nominated a particular road journey that I made often to bring the context of the site or place to the imagery. I investigated language as text to describe the activity of collecting and the journey of travelling by road. By focusing on the found objects, intaglio printing and photography I made a body of works about living in regional Victoria. This project is informed and contextualised using theories from social sciences and collection theory, I focus on themes of tourism and leisure. I reflect on artist's work which uses found objects, sculpture and installation. I consider artists who also use text, travelling through the environment, and road signage material. I look at the historical use of nature printing for its direct impression methods and its relation to collecting and documenting objects from the natural world. In my studio practice I apply traditional artistic methods to create and explore a personal response to living in contemporary Australia.