Two women living in Gozo have come together in a bid to stress the point that recycling can be creative and artistic and ultimately fun. Both are foreigners, both are artists in constant search of novelty.
Separately, their work is identified easily, but jointly, it seems to "fit" together, providing a wealth of contrast of varied mediums - metal, paint, ceramic, wood, plastic. Above all it is an autumn encounter - a herbssttreffen, with both artists whose innovative approach to art is heartening.
Hermine Anna Sammut, is Austrian. She loves to reincarnate waste by investing unwanted "rubbish" into works of art that see anything - from tin cans, plastic or glass bottles, or ash - come alive again. Her skill lies in recreating through her ceramic, woodwork and jeweller's skills. As she incorporates these together, her paintings are born - an unusually poignant recreation that provides the illusion of novelty and yet, it is all day-to-day waste that has been exhumed and reborn in the name of art. Through this exhibition she has tackled a new challenge, namely the way in which to reflect, match and harmonise one theme in different ways. Nature Recycles - Man Recycles is a very strong topic that she has expressed through varied artefacts.
"I use anything I get my hands on, as long as it is used or thrown away, such as wood, wire, plastic, old glass and plastic bottles, etc. I believe that everything has its value and sometimes we have to change or recycle an item to give it a new value or use. In our present environmental situation we all must learn how to recycle, to change values and use."
One of her most recent "discoveries" is the combination of jewellery in art. "Very few people appreciate the artistic merits of jewellery, but my definition of art is an expression of thoughts and this can happen through any kind of medium, whether this be music, painting or writing. I am not a professional craftswoman in jewellery making, but I like to reflect my thoughts in designing a piece of jewellery. In my work I choose to combine ceramic and silver, so each jewel has a story behind it. One of my earliest collections was based on the subject of the Maltese heritage and this I expressed through my jewellery and paintings, very often incorporating the jewellery itself within the pictures I made."
Jackie Roberts is of different mettle. Hailing from England, she draws on a different skill - her work is all about art in metal. Again, with the use of recycled metal and objets trouvé, she utilises these to produce handcrafted metal forms that are expressive in an artistic sense.
"I am constantly influenced by the natural world, particularly the sea and the fusion of different cultures and traditions. I have become especially known for my realistic Mediterranean fish which are hand-crafted from metal. It is very unusual in Malta and Gozo for a woman to work exclusively in the medium of metal and I hope my art and use of this versatile material will encourage others to try something new and challenging. I hope to inspire and enthrall people and show what a marvellous medium metal can be in creating beautiful contemporary art."
In this autumnal exhibition Ms Roberts offers a series of work in progress expressing the themes of hidden emotions, inner and outer landscapes, and some surprise encounters exposed through "chinks" in metal. This experimental work is shown together with beautifully crafted and heat-coloured leaf forms, African-inspired creations, some funky jewellery and hair ornaments.
Geckos, cats, owls, butterflies, masks, mirrors all come alive through techniques such as thermal cutting, welding, brazing and grinding that bring out the exquisite natural properties and colours of mild steel, brass and copper.
Jackie admits that her work in the exhibition is very new for her as she has experimented with producing "pictures" in metal for the first time using colouring and forming techniques perfected over the last few years, making very realistic marine life in the form of wall-mounted, two-dimensional sculptures in copper, brass and mild steel.
"What links Hermine's and my work in this exhibition is our attraction to 'applied art': Mixing different media and applying craft skills to contemporary artworks. I use artistic metalwork skills to create beautiful images out of discarded junk; some of which has previously had a useful life and was crying out to be artistically reclaimed - an old lock; pallet wood charred in a Gozo field fire, the back off an old washing machine."
Whether the ingredients which compose this exhibition were picked up as one walked the dog, or whether they were standing forlornly outside a rubbish bin, this exhibition shows they can be redempted...
And surprisingly, in more ways than one.
• Autumn Encounter - Herbsttreffen 2 - Art Exhibition Exploring The Reincarnation Of Waste, by Hermine Anna Sammut and Jackie Roberts, is showing at ArtBox Gallery (above Zeppi's Bar), St Joseph Square, Qala, until November 11. Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m., Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon. Both artists are supporting the 34U campaign to raise money for the planting of trees in Gozo. For further information call 7956 2753 or 7961 7746.
Separately, their work is identified easily, but jointly, it seems to "fit" together, providing a wealth of contrast of varied mediums - metal, paint, ceramic, wood, plastic. Above all it is an autumn encounter - a herbssttreffen, with both artists whose innovative approach to art is heartening.
Hermine Anna Sammut, is Austrian. She loves to reincarnate waste by investing unwanted "rubbish" into works of art that see anything - from tin cans, plastic or glass bottles, or ash - come alive again. Her skill lies in recreating through her ceramic, woodwork and jeweller's skills. As she incorporates these together, her paintings are born - an unusually poignant recreation that provides the illusion of novelty and yet, it is all day-to-day waste that has been exhumed and reborn in the name of art. Through this exhibition she has tackled a new challenge, namely the way in which to reflect, match and harmonise one theme in different ways. Nature Recycles - Man Recycles is a very strong topic that she has expressed through varied artefacts.
"I use anything I get my hands on, as long as it is used or thrown away, such as wood, wire, plastic, old glass and plastic bottles, etc. I believe that everything has its value and sometimes we have to change or recycle an item to give it a new value or use. In our present environmental situation we all must learn how to recycle, to change values and use."
One of her most recent "discoveries" is the combination of jewellery in art. "Very few people appreciate the artistic merits of jewellery, but my definition of art is an expression of thoughts and this can happen through any kind of medium, whether this be music, painting or writing. I am not a professional craftswoman in jewellery making, but I like to reflect my thoughts in designing a piece of jewellery. In my work I choose to combine ceramic and silver, so each jewel has a story behind it. One of my earliest collections was based on the subject of the Maltese heritage and this I expressed through my jewellery and paintings, very often incorporating the jewellery itself within the pictures I made."
Jackie Roberts is of different mettle. Hailing from England, she draws on a different skill - her work is all about art in metal. Again, with the use of recycled metal and objets trouvé, she utilises these to produce handcrafted metal forms that are expressive in an artistic sense.
"I am constantly influenced by the natural world, particularly the sea and the fusion of different cultures and traditions. I have become especially known for my realistic Mediterranean fish which are hand-crafted from metal. It is very unusual in Malta and Gozo for a woman to work exclusively in the medium of metal and I hope my art and use of this versatile material will encourage others to try something new and challenging. I hope to inspire and enthrall people and show what a marvellous medium metal can be in creating beautiful contemporary art."
In this autumnal exhibition Ms Roberts offers a series of work in progress expressing the themes of hidden emotions, inner and outer landscapes, and some surprise encounters exposed through "chinks" in metal. This experimental work is shown together with beautifully crafted and heat-coloured leaf forms, African-inspired creations, some funky jewellery and hair ornaments.
Geckos, cats, owls, butterflies, masks, mirrors all come alive through techniques such as thermal cutting, welding, brazing and grinding that bring out the exquisite natural properties and colours of mild steel, brass and copper.
Jackie admits that her work in the exhibition is very new for her as she has experimented with producing "pictures" in metal for the first time using colouring and forming techniques perfected over the last few years, making very realistic marine life in the form of wall-mounted, two-dimensional sculptures in copper, brass and mild steel.
"What links Hermine's and my work in this exhibition is our attraction to 'applied art': Mixing different media and applying craft skills to contemporary artworks. I use artistic metalwork skills to create beautiful images out of discarded junk; some of which has previously had a useful life and was crying out to be artistically reclaimed - an old lock; pallet wood charred in a Gozo field fire, the back off an old washing machine."
Whether the ingredients which compose this exhibition were picked up as one walked the dog, or whether they were standing forlornly outside a rubbish bin, this exhibition shows they can be redempted...
And surprisingly, in more ways than one.
• Autumn Encounter - Herbsttreffen 2 - Art Exhibition Exploring The Reincarnation Of Waste, by Hermine Anna Sammut and Jackie Roberts, is showing at ArtBox Gallery (above Zeppi's Bar), St Joseph Square, Qala, until November 11. Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m., Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon. Both artists are supporting the 34U campaign to raise money for the planting of trees in Gozo. For further information call 7956 2753 or 7961 7746.