The art of collection

Written By Selina Vicenzino

Old recipes my grandma wrote in a note pad.

Hello friends! Sorry it’s been so long oopssssss!!!!

This past semester was my final semester of art school! Omg ahhh wtf ₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊ I genuinely can’t believe after so long of putting off finishing my degree, it’s actually over!

As plenty of you know, a lot of my work in previous years has been really focused on nostalgia, familiar places you cherish, and honouring feminine energy. And so for my final work this past semester - for the work I will continue into the future - I will be continuing with these themes! So I thought I’d reflect on the importance of them here, as well as how collecting things ties into these themes for me.

I am a chronic sentimental girl. I keep every card, every letter, every piece of paper, every lolly wrapper, every random piece of TRASH! (lol) - and glue it into my journal at least once a week. I started compiling items this way this a couple of years ago and it’s stuck with me through so many journals, all with little momentos of what was happening around me during the time I filled it up.

My family has kind of ingrained this overly sentimental spirit into me. It feels hard to throw things away - even if they are genuinely worthless - that could have meant a lot to someone at one point or another. Maybe this feels… hoarder adjacent lol - but at this point in time, it’s more of a hobby of collection rather than an explosion of random shit in my home <3.

Pages from a journal from this past year

To me, this practice is essential to my life! I want to be 60 years old reading my old journal entries ~ remembering places I went, things I felt, people I missed and loved & seeing little things that were so very important to 25 year old me. I want those who come after me to be able to see my cheeky little doodles and my reflections of life. That feels just so lovely to me!

Collection in general has become more essential to my life as well. Finding old writings from my grandma or mum, taking seashells of beaches, pinning up doodles and drawings friend’s have done for me. I am just SO NOSTALGIC lol. The art of collection is a steady road though. I love little trinkets, and I love supporting small artists and buying a million prints for my walls. I love finding ceramic goods in OP shops and boxes of my grandmas old stuff. But at the same time I really believe it’s important to limit your consumption of goods!

Our trinket wall

Blindboxes are not a new invention. I have been collection Sonny Angels since I was 13 when they sold them at QAGOMA. </3 But now, these practices of collection have become oversaturated. I find it so completely insane that some products at Popmart or Miniso cost upwards of $50… for mass produced plastic. It truely is so strange to observe the craze that follows these stores.

I am not entirely against these forms of collection. These items and trinkets feel so comforting sometimes, and in a world of chaos and stress, it is so nice to have these little silly friends surrounding you, encouraging childlike energy.

But!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These things are worthless in comparison to homemade gifts, supporting small artists or finding one of a kind, pre-cherished items in OP shops.

I think the way we approach these mass-produced items feels kind of strange to me. And I want to encourage my friends and any lovers reading this to be intentional with your time, energy and money, and evaluate the things that are important to collect. If you want to buy a little plastic friend - go on! But the importance of collection for me, is founded in comfort and nostalgia. If you curate your collectables successfully, you can create a museum of love and memory in your home that honours the people and things you love in a much more meaningful way.

And so without further adieu…

Things I deem important to collect:

Photos !!!!!

I have been taking polaroids and creating a polaroid wall since I was 19. It’s an expensive and annoying labour of love as sometimes these images don’t come out how you’d like. But how lovely it is to reflect on so many different times I decided to bring my polaroid with me somewhere.

Another type of photo I feel is so fun to collect are photobooth strips! Anytime a friend comes to town now, I always have to take them to the photo booth to commemorate another visit to Melbourne. Same with doing Purikura photobooths but I’m not sure how common these are anymore outside of Japan.

Finally, printing out photos of your friends and things you love is so underrated! I used to do this when I was 15 and now I’m only just starting to do it again bc it’s lovely. Go to the officeworks website and print off a bunch of images of whoever and whatever you like - and most likely you’ll be able to pick them up the next day. It’s so sweet to have physical versions of childhood photos, important and special moments, old pets, etc. Literally whatever you want :~)

Art, prints and trinkets that are directly from artists

I don’t feel like I really need to spell this out… but how lovely is it to have lovely ceramics and prints all around. It’s really nice! Support local artists….. DUH!!!!!

Good places to collect prints, ceramics and other art would be exhibitions, art galleries, marketplaces & artists websites. I also recommend commissioning artists to do a portrait of yourself or loved ones. It’s so lovely and such a great way to make someone’s art more personal to you.

And last but not least, the last thing I deem important to collect:

Things important friends and family have touched & made or Things that have been passed down

If you’re aware of the work I’ve been doing for university, and the work I’ll be continuing into my honours year ~ this is what it’s all about. The project My Mother’s Clothes, reflects directly on the hand-me-downs within my family and the importance and value in the mundane. Especially as I have a history of women in my family who were makers, I think it is the most important thing to honour their memory through the passing down of their things. Specifically clothes, crochet goods, etc. This is something I will continue to reflect on in my work this year so get excited for that!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you have enjoyed this weird rant.

Peace and love

- L

Selina Vicenzino
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