Inglorious Baskets exhibition- Nicole de Mestre.

Our disconnect from the natural environment and the waste of our throwaway culture are key themes reflected in a challenging exhibition by environmental artist Nicole de Mestre, Inglorious Baskets, opening at Newcastle’s Timeless Textiles Gallery in August.

Central Coast-based Nicole uses the ancient art of basket-weaving as the basis for her innovative exhibition of baskets made from materials discarded in suburbia.

“For thousands of years, baskets have been woven from materials at hand, reflecting the character of the place in which they are made,” Nicole explains. “My baskets, too, have been constructed from locally-sourced materials in plentiful supply, and comment on our attitudes towards disposal and reuse.”

With many suburban areas littered with piles of unwanted or outdated materials destined for landfill, Nicole seeks out what is still functional and serviceable to create her ‘inglorious’ baskets.

“I have sourced my raw materials from local streets and beaches. By giving new life to resources which would otherwise be lost, I hope to highlight both the loss of natural environment and the increasing materialism of our throwaway culture.”

By repurposing materials classified as rubbish into new objects, Nicole extends the increasingly temporary relationship we have with consumer goods.

Obsolete products piled on urban nature strips – wire, cords, plastic bags, hoses, old tents, shade cloth, orange bags, even an old shower hose – are artfully stitched together with other unwanted materials – shoelaces, whipper-snipper cord, fishing line and deconstructed rope. Nicole has also incorporated found objects, such as lids, electronics, old pots, wire and wood offcuts in her basket constructions.

Inglorious Baskets Exhibition opens on 20 August from 6pm – 8pm and continues until 13 September, 2015.