A new art exhibition in Lyme Regis showcases how scavenged finds can offer insights into people’s lives.
Christine Allison, 69, is presenting a new exhibition called Treasures, which will run from April 2 to May 23 at Lyme Regis Museum’s Rotunda Gallery.
She explains how each object she has located on the cliffs of Black Ven has a story, providing a glimpse into the town’s history and the people who lived there.
“Above the coast there was an old Victorian dump and tip. Over the years, objects have been added to it and as the cliffs have eroded, things have fallen down to the beach like broken fragments of decorated china, sea glass, bottles, bits of rusty metal. I like to imagine the life each treasure has had."
One work featured entitled 34 fragments of china and 5 pieces of rusty metal, involved combining different materials to breathe a new life into these discarded objects.
“It was all about making something very ordinary have another life as a piece of art. The work is very curious, and it makes your eye move around a lot. It’s like these pieces have a story to tell when they’re put together.”
Christine has lived and worked in Lyme Regis as an artist, teacher, and author for more than 40 years. She trained at St. Martin’s School of Art, London, The New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting & Sculpture, USA and Exeter University, Devon.
With a passion for art and creation that has stemmed since childhood, she is hoping this exhibit will not only inspire visitors to engage more creatively with their surroundings but also to think about the legacy we will leave for future generations through our waste.
“I think the works are unusual and would like to think people will reflect about the objects they’re using in own lives and how they’re disposed of. These pieces are everyday things that have come out of the ground like fossils.
“We are throwing away so much plastic, what will our legacy be? It makes you think about the environment we’re leaving behind us. Victorians left china but we’re likely to be leaving layers of plastic.”
More information about the exhibition can be found on the Lyme Regis museum website: https://www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk/event/treasures-scavenged-finds-from-black-ven-by-christine-allison/
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