A few of your favourite things

Mullumbimby artist Oksana Waterfall showcasing work at Tweed Regional Gallery.

Photo:  Lelli (detail) 2015, graphite, thread and found object on paper

Hailing from Mullumbimby, artist Oksana Waterfall’s  showcase “Object of Affection”, is a series of works on display until Sunday 10 July 2016 at Tweed Regional Gallery, that explores how people select their most treasured items.

Reflecting the artist’s Ukrainian heritage, where intricate embroidered fabric is often regarded as a family heirloom, Ms Waterfall said that “It is the thread of memory for me and I have incorporated it into each work… a thread that binds me to my culture and my past, and a thread of mark-making that links all the works in the series”.

She said her long and abiding interest in people and the objects they bonded with in the course of their lives were part of the inspiration for her work.  “We all tend to accumulate things as we move through the world,” she said.

“Amongst the myriad of objects that pass through our hands, there are some that seem to exert a special attraction and influence over us.  “As an artist, it intrigues me that people often cling to the mundane as valuable; this can be an object from their childhood or a present from a friend, sometimes without intrinsic value except to the owner,” she said.

“It can be commonplace or uncommon, rare or simply charged with the value of personal use.”  The artist said patterns and stories started to emerge amongst the myriad of random objects.

“We can tell a lot about the owners from the objects they choose as sentiment finds its way into their choices and mundane objects become supercharged with emotions and distilled memories,” Ms Waterfall said.

Gallery Director Susi Muddiman said visitors would be intrigued by the seemingly simple works. “Closer observations reveal the intricate detail involved in Oksana’s practice,” Ms Muddiman commented.

“She tells the story of people through the things they selected and the things they treasure. She specifically asks people to nominate the objects that are most precious to them. “Surprisingly, people didn’t always select the most valuable thing they own and these often remain as impersonal objects to them.

“It is often object, plus memory, that equals a favourite thing.”

Courtesy: Tweed Shire Council Newsroom
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See also: Big Volcano Visitor Guide:  Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre