.
"My research has taken me into some dark corners where I've begun to really think about the cost we are paying for the luxury of copper."
Beneath each of Vollans's works is commentary designed to pique viewers' interest with the hope that they'll do their own research into the issues.
In a piece called Where the Roses Once Grew, Vollans uses old rusted drywall screws, ceramic that has the sheen of an oil slick, and roses she created from narrow sheets of copper rolled around a pencil.
A piece called 2:1, Men and the Boys vs Workers, the artist uses found pieces to depict the roofs of houses and the division between mining executives, management and workers who are supposed to be working together "but are separate and never join."
The final work in the 20-piece exhibit is called Untethered, which incorporates glass of all sort: chunks of recycled black glass and bits from a broken outdoor table.
It represents Vollans's musings on the future of the copper mining industry and dream of miners working and living in reasonable conditions with the ability to take care of their families.
"We can't go backwards and simply not mine copper," she said. "We can't live without it. But, perhaps what is needed is greater care for those who work in the industry, more accountable stewardship of the land and better legislation to enforce it."
Although Vollans said she has been collecting stuff since she was a child - broken wooden pegs, bits of fabric, broken toys, doll parts - she only discovered mixed media mosaic about 15 years ago after graduating through a number of other arts and crafts.
"Salvaging is important - to me at least. I really love to use ordinary things that you find just about anywhere.
"I am interested in exhibiting work that speaks to the human condition - our relationships with one another, our reactions, our emotions, our lives - and how we impact and are impacted by the environment around us."
Vollans artwork often includes bits of driftwood, stones from the beaches of Lake Ontario and the Ottawa Valley, marble, even Dollar Store glass.
Although she has lived in Brantford less than two years, much of her work has been in the city. She was part of last year's Brant Studio Tour and of the former Crawford Collective. Her work has also been displayed at the former Arts Block.
Vollans teaches art classes at local elementary and high schools, where she encourages students to be scavengers, and is currently involved in a community project for the City of Waterloo libraries.
The artist hopes to expand on Copper Mine by exploring the role of trade unions in the industry.