Those piles of garbage left on suburban streets for council pick-up are mountains of gold for the innovative artist, whose latest pieces are on exhibition at Hunter Street's Timeless Textiles Gallery.

De Mestre uses the ancient art of basket weaving as the basis for her innovative exhibition of baskets made from materials discarded in suburbia.

With many suburbs often littered with piles of unwanted or outdated materials destined for landfill, de Mestre seeks out what is still functional and serviceable to create her "inglorious" baskets.

"For thousands of years, baskets have been woven from materials at hand, reflecting the character of the place in which they are made," de Mestre said.

"My baskets have been constructed from locally sourced materials in plentiful supply, and comment on our attitudes towards disposal and reuse."

By repurposing materials classified as rubbish into new objects, de Mestre extends the increasingly temporary relationship we have with consumer goods.

Wire, cords, plastic bags, hoses, old tents, shade cloth, orange bags, even an old shower hose - are artfully stitched together with other unwanted materials like shoelaces, whipper-snipper cord, fishing line and deconstructed rope.

She has also incorporated found objects, such as lids, electronics, old pots, wire and wood offcuts in her basket constructions.

■ Inglorious Baskets is on exhibition until September 13, at Timeless Textiles Gallery, 90 Hunter Street, Newcastle East.