Bundaberg artist and business owner Marlies Oakley has given old magazine pictures a new life with her collaged artwork now printed on t-shirts with 4670tees.
Marlies said she was inspired to create the new venture of 4670tees, after her public artwork 52 Paste Ups in 52 Weeks was well received by the community, and she decided printing the pieces on to t-shirts would give more people a chance to view her collaged creations.
Each of the 4670tees designs originally started life in old magazines, books, encyclopedias, reference books, fabric patterns, or anything made of paper, before Marlies transformed them in to a stylish, modern piece of artwork.
She said the collage resources were sourced from local charity shops, tender centre sales and donations from friends.
“They are then given a new life thanks to a pair of scissors and an extraordinary attention to detail,” she said.
“It was always in my mind to share the artwork more.
“We thought about how we could do this and thought postcards and other things, but we wanted to share the collages with more people and thought why not t-shirts.”
Once cut from their original source, Marlies’ imagination kicks in, and the image finds itself a new home alongside other pieces of paper, to create a new image, which is sometimes thought provoking, sometimes surreal, but always striking.
She said these artworks were then assembled on to the background paper and were available for purchase as origin artworks or printed on t-shirts through 4670tees.
Keeping with the times, Marlies has created striking collages of current affairs, such as social distancing because of COVID-19, and even an artwork based on the Netflix American true crime documentary miniseries Tiger King.
“We watched Tiger King after all our friends watched it, and I thought I would make a collage about it; it is subtle, but you get the idea,” she said.
“I take my inspiration from what is happening around me.”
Along with topical artworks, Marlies said she often created commissioned pieces for locals who wanted their ideas turned in to a piece of artwork, and now a t-shirt.
Art Plus stock a small range of the 4670tees t-shirts, but Marlies said they preferred if they were made to order and people could contact them for specific sizes and colours.
“4670tees come in any colour, from white to purple or red – whatever people preferred, and any size from babies, including onesies and singlets, right through to adults,” Marlies said.
“I am quite proud to see people wearing my t-shirts, some send in photos and it is quite special.”
To look through the t-shirt available or to find out more about 4670tees click here.
