Susan Collis

Susan Collis playfully recreates everyday objects using both mundane and precious materials. Calling attention to usually ignored elements of our daily lives, she is interested in concepts of craft, value and labour. In the sculpture White Lies (2006), Collis appropriates a worn wooden step ladder and inlays it with opal, pearl and semi-precious stones from around the world in forms that suggest spilled paint and coffee stains. This surprising pairing of the worthless object with the valuable natural materials asks the viewer to question ideas of utility and value. In doing do so Collis draws attention to the dynamics of perception, and the feelings of wonder that accompanies moments of surprise and discovery.