AN exhibition featuring prints of bookshelves, mantelpieces and other household wares from Glenrowan artist Fleur Rendell will open on Friday at Wangaratta Art Gallery.
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The show, entitled Shelf Portraits, will be launched by playwright Magaret Hickey at a gathering from 5.30pm.
Rendell told The Border Mail the name was a play on the shelfie phenomenon.
"They're like selfies – but photos of interesting shelf arrangements," she said. "The overarching theme is a search for everyday beauty and celebrating those small moments in life that sometimes slip by unnoticed."
Rendell's lino-cuts explore the relationship people have with everyday objects that surround them.
Familiar households items such as kettles or stoves, plants or books, are instilled with emotion and humanity.
The exhibition has already featured in Sydney at Australian Galleries in Paddington.
"I approached the Wangaratta Art Gallery last year to see if they would host this exhibition because a lot of the works in the show are based on shelves and kitchens of people from Wangaratta,” Ms Rendell said.
“So, I wanted to include those people whose shelf portraits I made who couldn't make to Sydney."
It is through these depictions that the viewer can glimpse into the inside world of these people.
Rendell's prints can be compared to the still life paintings developed in Dutch and Flemish art during the 16th century.
These works often depicted food and kitchenware for a growing middle class who wanted to reflect their new-found wealth.
Rendell, who went to Benalla High School, said she chose to pursue print making during her art studies at RMIT Melbourne.
"Through my course, I found out that print making was what I loved,” she said.
Rendell said this was because of the precision that could be achieved in the medium. "If I try painting I tend to overwork things," she said.
"But in lino cuts it's like making a big stamp, so you can get some really clean lines. It's pretty easy to do on your kitchen table - you don't need a whole lot of chemicals."
Rendell listed Vincent van Gogh as a major influence.
"I love his expressive paint marks and the expressiveness of his works,” she said.
Shelf Portraits runs until June 5.
Rendell will also give an informal presentation on her work on May 18 from 10.30am.
For details about the exhibitoin call the Wangaratta Art Gallery on (03) 5722 0865.
