Two CSU Monterey Bay students explore found art.

Two student-artists from the Visual and Public Art program at CSU Monterey Bay, Ashley Brunetti and Melanie Gatica, present Doll Parts: Reclaiming Glamour from the Forgotten, a found art exhibit using discarded items from ReGen Monterey, now on display at Last Chance Mercantile, 14201 Del Monte Blvd. in Marina, through May 24. 

ReGen and CSUMB teamed up to create an artist-in-residence program. ReGen and Last Chance Mercantile allowed the artists to salvage discarded materials and upcycle them into art.

The artists spent long hours at the location, sometimes finding rotten food and at other times real treasures. “It was really exciting to dig for treasures,” Gatica says. “The most exciting find for me were albums with someone’s photos from the 1950s through 1970s.”

Gatica is a Mexican-American multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Salinas. She says the Visual and Public Art program at CSUMB make her even more passionate about art. Drawing inspiration from vintage pulp comics, pin-up art, and retro psychedelic films, Gatica's work centers on vibrant depictions of women, notably underrepresented Latinas. Her art examines glamour from a lower middle-class perspective, elevating objects often deemed "tacky" by higher social strata into symbols of resilience, everyday beauty and pride.

Both artists have been interested in arts since they were little. They learned from the opportunity from their teacher and applied for the residency. The young women knew each other from some classes, but in the last few months (they started looking for objects in February) they grew close.

It turned out they were into the same themes and aesthetics. Femininity, especially the marginalized one—from the Black woman experience to a lesbian experience—are the main motif that connects both artists.

Brunetti is a multidisciplinary artist from Aromas. Currently expanding her artistic practice to include woodworking and fiber arts, Brunetti consistently addresses themes of shared women's experiences, LGBTQ+ representation and environmental issues in her work.

Her new body of work, being developed in the Last Chance Mercantile studio, explores the connections between femininity, nature and consumerism, drawing inspiration from Pop Art and post-impressionism.

Being environmentally conscious is very important to her and recycling has always been part of her artistic process. The mission of this particular project is to inspire the public when it comes to repurposing, recycling and reusing discarded materials. 

Visit Gatica @miss.begotten on Instagram or at melaniegatica00.wixsite.com/melaniegaticaart.

Visit Brunetti @ashleybrunettiart on Instagram or at ashleybrunetti.wixsite.com/my-site/portfolio-glimpse.