In Pursuit of Beauty

Knotted Nest (Up-cycled fabric wallet/The Collective 2011)

Sometimes the pursuit of beauty can take an ugly turn.

Consider the case of the chambered nautilus, the stunning, opalescent shell favoured by many artisans.  It's been called the poor man's pearl. 

To satisfy the demand of jewellers, millions of these tropical shells are being harvested each year.  Now the nautilus may be facing extinction.

Many of the artists and the artisans of this year's Collective show have a decidedly different approach to their art.  Rather than depleting our resources, they have chosen to work with discarded items or recycled
materials. 

Sharon Helleman of Thirsty Roots uses the leaves from the city's native trees to create the images in her pendants.  


Katherine Phan of Simple Smiles relies on old buttons to decorate her knits.Victor D's tables and wooden pieces are carved from discarded wood.  And at Knotted Nest, the designs are made from recycled fabric found in vintage
stores.

These artisans have discovered the intrinsic beauty of everyday items.

 Simple Smiles (The Collective 2011)

Thirsty Roots (The Collective 2011)

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