THE FOUND PROJECT
Catalogue essay

Latrobe Regional Gallery is delighted to present The FOUND Project which features artists from the Gippsland region, Victoria and overseas.

Each of the artists involved have produced work every day for one month over the period August 2003 – August 2004. Working in parallel with project coordinator Kelly Boucher they have documented objects found on their daily journeys, creating small works on paper.

The Gallery is dedicated to presenting independent and innovative exhibitions and The FOUND Project highlights the commitment of the Gallery to the region and its artists.

On behalf of Latrobe Regional Gallery I would like to thank all the artists involved for their contribution to the project. My sincere thanks also go to Kelly Boucher, who initiated and coordinated the project. Her unwavering enthusiasm and commitment have ensured that the exhibition embraces a diversity of artistic styles to present a cohesive theme.

Louise Tegart
Director, Latrobe Regional Gallery

Collaborative art provides a staged exhibition format that enables several artists to be contributors to one large art piece. The FOUND Project documents the processes involved in such collaboration. This makes us aware that there is a whole array of things that contribute to the set up of an installation.

The FOUND Project is a purely empirical artwork based on the experience of the artist with his/her environment. Movement, change, and time are all variables that have influenced the making of this work. This shows us that objects within the world are subject to change according to the influence of many elements and cannot be pinpointed by a single conception, abstraction or meaning.

It also displays to us the fecundity of perception. Momentary perception is limited by what is there at the time. When a person finds an object, their perception of the processes of life around the object is enlivened. When the object is appropriated as part of an installation environment the processes continue.

As fifteen artists were involved in The FOUND Project there is also added the extra variable of choice. This brings us to question: what makes one person stop and choose an object as one that possesses a particular beauty or significance? This work also acts as a diary of experience for each artist. The artists have found over time that these objects have triggered memories that they may have not otherwise had.

Penelope Trotter
Art theory lecturer, Monash University Gippsland

Leaf through the catalogue in its entirety.
The FOUND Project was curated by Kelly Boucher.


Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
Is this enough to sufficiently woo you?
2007
digital collage