Artists collaborate on a voyage of discovery and archaeology of Finds.

New South Wales North Coast artists Anne Leon and Liz Powell unearth the remnants of the past on the sea shore and on the shore of the vanished inland sea in a new exhibition opening at Newcastle’s Timeless Textiles Gallery in December.

In the Finds exhibition, Anne and Liz use a range of materials to portray the evocative nature of the found objects and everyday items whether washed up, uncovered in a sand dune or hidden at the back of an ancient cupboard. Referencing a fascination with archeaology they take the idea of Finds and apply it to things strolled past on the strand and walked over in the bush, things natural and things man made.

Archaeology is the study of history through the excavation of sites and the analysis of physical remains. It tells us stories. Anne and Liz investigate the everyday, from an uncommon and whimsical perspective in this exhibition.

“We wanted to explore and tell stories through the excavation of non-traditional sites and physical remains in non-traditional ways”. Places of personal significance or resonance, for Anne the beach, for Liz the floor of the ancient inland sea  have histories and can be excavated though they may be transient and ephemeral.

In this exhibition the artists construct an alternative archive of histories. They emulate the mixed-media approach of archaeology, which uses graphs, detailed drawings, cross referencing with previous finds, and involves photographers, draftsmen, conservators, botanists. Working with watercolour, etching, screen printing, fabric and constructions, they build their macro histories. They unpack the past differently, in collaborative and solo works.

 The Finds exhibition runs from 14-24 December, with the opening from 6-8pm on 17 December..