Recycled Art

I am quite a determined recycler. You probably guessed that, I’m sure. I want to help make our world better, and recycling is one thing I can do. Aluminum cans, cardboard, old catalogs, and more all find their way to our recycle bin. It’s a small thing, but I like knowing that I’m making an effort, at least.

There are some very talented artists in this wide world of ours who go far beyond “recycling” to find beautiful ways to use trash, garbage, and just about anything else they find. You’ve probably seen pictures of their works on Facebook. Every time I see a “junk sculpture”, I am awed.

Today I’m sharing a few artists and their creations — just for fun. I hope you enjoy this look at recycled art, and I hope that you, too, are taking time to recycle.

First, here’s “T-Rex” by Andrew Chase. He is a self-employed furniture maker, welder, and commercial photographer. His mechanical art — often called “assemblage art” — features animals constructed from recycled auto part and plumbing parts. Each animal takes 80 – 120 hours to build. Many of these creations can actually move!

One of my favorite “recycling artists” is Yong Ho Ji, a Korean sculptor whose medium is rubber tires. Here is his “Wolf Man”. His subjects are animals and mythological creatures.

Recycled hubcaps more your thing? Check out this shark from Ptolemy Erlington.

While I personally don’t care a lot for insects, they can be interesting as subjects for art, including “scrapmetal art”. Edouard Martinet became fascinated by bugs as a 10-year-old boy. Now, he re-creates them in stunning sculptures from junk

These are only a few very few examples. A quick online search will take you to dozens of pages with dozens of artists and dozens of awe-inspiring examples of art created from metal, old clothing, trash, discarded electronics and just about any other material you can think of!

What I like best about all of these “junk art” sculptures is that their creators understand the importance of saving our earth, finding better ways to recycle and reuse old materials instead of tossing them on a junk heap.

CauseArtist offers these inspiring words about the power of art and activism — “artivism” as it’s called.

Art is also powerful because it doesn’t overwhelm the public as generally scientific reports do. Instead, it offers a solution and a profound sense of optimism. Producing sculptures from reclaimed waste brings an activist touch and a powerful message that is way more engaging. We are seeing trash-artworks going viral on the internet and inspiring millions of people to rethink their daily actions, to go out to the streets, and become litter heroes themselves. Artivism creates empathy and compassion, making those watching relate to the cause. What art is triggering is a commitment for us all to take a stand in the smallest, and yet most meaningful way.

Again, I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick look at truly fantastic art, and that you, too, will take a part in helping to save our planet.