One-time treasures sought for art show

Cathy Tuato'o Ross sets up the moving Shadow Collection exhibition at NorthTec's Geoff Wilson Gallery.

Organisers of an art exhibition in Whangarei want people to bring along their once-treasured objects to turn them into objets d'art.

Public participation is required for Shadow Collection art exhibition to be held at NorthTec's Geoff Wilson Gallery next month.

Arts tutor Ellie Smith and photographic artist Cathy Tuato'o Ross want as many people as possible to bring once-treasured possessions along to be photographed and possibly included in the exhibition.

Their Shadow Collection will feature photos of the shadows cast by objects which once held significance for people.

The objects they are seeking are those which were once treasures; were once significant to someone else; or have been kept simply because people feel they must preserve them.

"We will be photographing the shadows of these objects to represent what is left behind after memory, meaning or personal value is lost," Smith said.

"We are asking anyone with these kinds of possessions to bring in just one to us at the Geoff Wilson Gallery project space.

"We would like to photograph the shadow of the object while they wait - it will take about 10 minutes, print it and then hang it in our growing exhibition of 'things that have lost their meaning'."

The pair will be available to photograph items between 11am and 2pm on August 30, September 6 and September 13.

The growing collection of shadows on display will be exhibited in the Window Space at the Geoff Wilson Gallery, at NorthTec's Raumanga campus until September 16.