Confessions of an Incurable Treasure Hunter
I am by nature and nurture a hunter of treasure and a creator of stuff—equal parts scientist and artist. As part of a necessarily frugal middle-class family, I grew up scouring local flea markets, yard sales, and even the dump for much of the stuff of life. I spent the first half of my life making a beeline for a career as an archaeological geologist, seasoning my scientific pursuits with art and craft workshops whenever possible. As I dug up artifacts and collected rocks, I also dabbled in drawing, ceramics, painting, photography, beading, and sewing. I finally found my creative niche when I began using found materials in jewelry and collage. Found objects, often having the flavor of time and antiquity about them, provide the best medium for expressing who I am and where I come from. As an adult, I’ve had many roles—geologist, archaeologist, family curator, caregiver, textile conservationist, freelance writer—roles that involved hunting the past, preserving its artifacts, and telling its story. With found object art, I can continue to indulge my lifelong love of the hunt for the old, the ancient, the used, and the discarded and reinvent my found treasures as new artifacts that tell a personal story of myself and my disposable culture.
P.S. If there were a cure for treasure hunting, I’d rather abstain from the cure than from the hunt!
I am by nature and nurture a hunter of treasure and a creator of stuff—equal parts scientist and artist. As part of a necessarily frugal middle-class family, I grew up scouring local flea markets, yard sales, and even the dump for much of the stuff of life. I spent the first half of my life making a beeline for a career as an archaeological geologist, seasoning my scientific pursuits with art and craft workshops whenever possible. As I dug up artifacts and collected rocks, I also dabbled in drawing, ceramics, painting, photography, beading, and sewing. I finally found my creative niche when I began using found materials in jewelry and collage. Found objects, often having the flavor of time and antiquity about them, provide the best medium for expressing who I am and where I come from. As an adult, I’ve had many roles—geologist, archaeologist, family curator, caregiver, textile conservationist, freelance writer—roles that involved hunting the past, preserving its artifacts, and telling its story. With found object art, I can continue to indulge my lifelong love of the hunt for the old, the ancient, the used, and the discarded and reinvent my found treasures as new artifacts that tell a personal story of myself and my disposable culture.
P.S. If there were a cure for treasure hunting, I’d rather abstain from the cure than from the hunt!
found ob•ject n. 1. detritus of man or nature (such as vintage photographs, maps, ephemera, typewriter keys, shells, feathers, etc.) repurposed in art or decorating 2. any object hunted or serendipitously located and collected for alteration and/or use in a new way –SYN. see TREASURE
