Objets d'Art's eclectic mix at Community Arts Centre

Some of the artists in the Objet d'Art Exhibition at Whanganui Community Arts Centre are (left) Gill Howard, Fiona Thomas, Tristan Knowles and Loulou Krebs. Photo / Paul Brooks

There's an exhibition on at the Community Arts Centre as eclectic as the talents and personalities of the six artists taking part.

Loulou Krebs, Karen Workman, Fiona Thomas, Tristan Knowles, Gill Howard and Lola Mackie have combined their skills and love of artistic form to create a stunning display of creativity they have called Objets d'Art Exhibition.

The show is the brainchild of Gill and there are a number of connections among the six artists.

"Loulou was a student at TLC [The Learning Connexion in Taita] when I was a tutor," says Fiona.

"And Fiona was also a teacher at Havelock North High School when I was a student there, and the [special needs] student that Fiona was in sole charge of was my main subject for my PE assignment," says Loulou. "So Fiona and I have known each other for 29 years."

"So here we are living streets away from each other in Castlecliff," says Fiona.

Loulou came here from Wellington, intending to study glass art but got a job and stayed anyway. Loulou paints.

"I started off painting flowers ... now I look at form and in these [indicating a painting] I use my body to paint. It's about using different parts of my body to project it on to the canvas. I put the paint on me, so I've got to navigate how I get that on to the canvas where I need it."

"A lot of rolling around," says Fiona.

Tristan is a photographer, and a creator of interesting things, and his work is interspersed with the work of the five other artists.

"We wanted to mix it up," says Fiona. "Because we're a bit of a mixed bunch."

Gill boards with Loulou and she and her art are obviously well-liked.

"Gill see things and makes them, she has ideas and thinks about what's happening in the world," says Loulou.

Gill's work is varied and interesting, right down to a Judith Collins pincushion wearing a National Party "patch" on its back.

"If I can find anything and make art out of it for cheap, I'll do it," Gill says.

She also has a connection with TLC, which is how she knows Loulou.

"I use art as a visual way to make a comment about society."

She loves the result of the exhibition.

"It's beautifully eclectic when you get a group of people together who are so different."

Both Fiona and Karen have been Midweek subjects before through exhibitions they held at Red Door Gallery.

Objets d'Art Exhibition is on at the Community Arts Centre, 19 Taupo Quay until November 29,