Turning trash into objets d’art

“Living on the river is great,” says Susan Dexter Camp. “Every year it floods and then recedes and there’s junk left on the banks. I love junk.”

Rusted tools, bicycle wheels, wood, and string wash up on the banks of the Penobscot River behind Camp’s house in Orono. Such junk, or “found objects” as Camp calls it, has often been the material for her assemblage art work. In college, Camp would shred old clothes to make paper for her projects. She tells the story of her husband, Chris, asking her not to tear up his favorite shirt for one of her art pieces.

Although Camp still embraces what might be called an environmental approach to art, she’s not ripping up clothes anymore. Her newest work is fiber sculpture, vibrantly colored three-dimensional forms made from cloth pulp and wire.

Several of her pieces will be on display as a part of the “I Won’t Wear the Paisley Dress” art show April 6-29 at Artfellows Gallery in Belfast. The show also features works by collage artist Mary Brosnan and photographer Martha Oatway, but takes its name from one of Camp’s pieces.

To give a cohesiveness to a show that blends diverse art styles and themes, each of the other two artists created an art piece by the same title. The shared image, according to Camp, is of an irascible little girl who will not be forced to wear a clothing item against her will. The result is a show that is humorous, colorful, and precocious.

But the three women have more than this title in common. Each has the mighty task of maintaining artistic goals while raising a young family.

For Camp, this means finding the time to work at her art while caring for her 2-year-old son, Dillon. Although balancing the two routines requires patience and resourcefulness, Camp will be the first to admit that Dillon has given her valuable perspective on her art.

In the past, her work tended to be cynical and dark, but these days, she describes it as optimistic, playful, humorous, and hopeful.

Another important influence on Camp was Alice Neel, a contemporary American artist whose work made bold and outspoken commentaries on the human condition.

“Alice Neel said that all experiences are valid unless you kill yourself, and then you’ve gone too far,” said Camp.

Growing up, Camp often felt pressured to leave her hometown of Orono in search of more artistic experiences. But she has come to realize that Maine has a lively artistic culture, and offers her a type of serenity and lifestyle she might not find in an urban area.

And besides, some of the best junk she could ever want to find isn’t any further away than her own back yard.