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STUMBLE upon the Touchstones art gallery in Rochdale, and you’d be forgiven for thinking they were in the process of changing their exhibition.
An abandoned broom to one side, a messy overall hung on the wall, screws in the bare walls, and a stepladder left in the centre of the room.
But what appear to be worthless objects are in fact painstakingly re-created by artist Susan Collis from some of the world’s most materials.
A beaten-up looking stepladder is inset with rare and valuable “paintsplatters” of white opal, Brazilian opal, pearl, white diamond, labradorite, moonstone, crystal, shell and coral.
Abandoned screws are valuable cast in white gold and encrusted with diamonds.
Blankets left crumpled on the gallery floor are meticulously fabricated in mohair, cashmere, silk and gold thread.
A screwed up piece of paper is covered in shimmering gold leaf.
Elsewhere a frame is seemingly blank – but the scribbles of 5B Pencils took Susan’s team months to make.
“One person would probably get five square inches done a day – that would have taken me a year to make, and probably driven me completely crazy in the process.”
“I wanted people to think – ‘oh for God’s sake, what’s all that about?’” says the artist, who embarked on her art career in her 30s after ten years working as a publisher.
“And then when they got up closer to realise that there was a lot of thought behind it, a lot of workmanship, craft – all those things that a lot of people who aren’t familiar with conceptual art would feel is missing from that kind of work.”
It’s a feeling which Susan experienced herself before she studied art.
“I’d gone to a few shows, and I do remember going to the Carl Andre show at the Tate, and really not getting it,” she admits.
“When I when to art college and studying art and art theory – the pieces I started making were like a letter to my previous self.”
One of the most costly elements of the exhibition are also some of the smallest, says Susan.
“These screws and wall plugs are really expensive to make actually because they are cast from a variety of precious metals – platinum, silver, gold.
“I worked with another stone carver who worked with the wall plugs, which are carved out of garnet and semi-precious metals.
“I’m interested in the craft, and using the craftsmanship like another precious commodity – there’s no way I’d have time in a lifetime to learn all those stills.”
When We Loved You Best Of All is part of Contemporary Forward – a new chapter in Touchstones’ contemporary programme which aims to bring innovative art to the former mill town.
The works are on display until September 30 2017 / Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm / Free entry.
Touchstones Rochdale Art Gallery, The Esplanade, Rochdale OL16 1AQ contemporaryforwardrochdaleartgallery. org/