What is assemblage? Here is one definition and explanation - Assemblage -  in art, work produced by the incorporation of everyday objects into the composition. Although each non-art object, such as a piece of rope or newspaper, acquires aesthetic or symbolic meanings within the context of the whole work, it may retain something of its original identity. The term assemblage, as coined by the artist Jean Dubuffet in the 1950s, may refer to both planar and three-dimensional constructions. Although artworks composed from a variety of materials are common to many cultures, assemblage refers to a particular form that developed out of intellectual and artistic movements at the beginning of the 20th century. The practice began about 1911–12 with the Cubist collages of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque and sculptural assemblages by Futurists such as Umberto Boccioni and Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. One of the earliest examples is Picasso’s “Still Life with Chair Caning” (1911–12), in which a piece of oilcloth with an imitation chair caning design was pasted onto the painting, and a rope was used to frame the picture. Subsequent art movements such as Dada and Surrealism explored the possibilities of assemblage. Marcel Duchamp, for instance, created “ready-mades” and “found objects” from industrial and natural objects; he elevated them into the realm of art simply by adding an inscription or by including them in an exhibition. Artists of the mid-20th century working in assemblage included Louise Nevelson and Robert Rauschenburg.

www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/39194/assemblage

The artists involved in Assemblage 15 are….

Sian Adnam(Cape Woolami), Deb Le Cerf (Cape Patterson), Peter Cole (Venus Bay), Bridget Crowe (Fish Creek), Grant Flather (Yanakie), Sue Gilford (Agnes), Mandy Gunn (Tarwin Lower), Suellen Lee(Binginwarri), Andrew McPherson (Fish Creek), Ann Parry (Foster North), Jane Power (Fish Creek), Abigail van Rooyen (Waratah North), Kerry Spokes (Fish Creek), Annie Stark (Fish Creek), Rachel Warren (Outrim), Helen Wilkinson (Yanakie).

Some of the participants are well known for their artworks featuring assemblage or collage (essentially interchangeable terms or at least very similar processes) whereas for others it will be a challenge to move away from their trademark, tried and true mediums. So, we have some idea of what to expect from some of the artists and absolutely no idea of what we will get from others. Therein lies the fun and allure of this type of exhibition where artists are set a challenge and produce works that either allow them to show what they can do in their preferred medium or allow them to show their inherent abilities even when working in unusual mediums. ‘Pattern 12’ exhibition in 2009, ‘Assemblage 15’ in 2010 – Kerry and I will have to dream up something out of the box for our group exhibition for 2011.

CV’s and artist statements will be available for all the artists when the exhibition opens.

The image on the invitation is a work from the exhibition by Mandy Gunn.

Jane Power

Mandy Gunn

Sian Adnam