Waste to Art
Exhibition Guide 2024
Visit the 2024 Sustainable Neighbourhoods Waste to Art Exhibition
21 October 2024 to 24 January 2025
Across 2 locations: SEEN@Swansea and Toronto Launchpad
Exhibition Guide 2024
Visit the 2024 Sustainable Neighbourhoods Waste to Art Exhibition
21 October 2024 to 24 January 2025
Across 2 locations: SEEN@Swansea and Toronto Launchpad
|
Christiana Monored
Sea of Soya Plastic soya sauce fish, shopping bags, plastic net on canvas with acrylic paint board Exhibiting at Toronto Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries Christiana Monored Plastic Fish Plastic bread tags, metal spatula on timber Exhibiting at Toronto Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries |
|
As part of my artistic practice I use recycled materials. I repurpose old fabric, timbers, jewellery and explore assemblage and collage using a wide variety of elements. My artworks are inspired by the innocuous small things like soya sauce containers, that are now part of our popular culture. However, what happens to these after use? I started collecting mine, one to see how many one person acquires as a consumer but also to accumulate for artmaking. I'm currently collecting metallic pill packets, still pondering what they are going to be used for. The sheer volume one person can collect quite quickly is astounding. I started collecting bread tabs about 7 years ago and the work I have created is a result of that.
|
Darren Horsfield
Recycled Monster Art - Monster Family Found plastic rubbish, glue, found nail polish and markers Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries I am a long time NDIS participant and art helps me in my life. I come from Newcastle where I still live. Art for me connects people and breaks down barriers. Plus the main thing is I enjoy doing it and people are surprised what I can do, and they look at my art they don’t see a disability they see possibilities. I have been collecting stuff since I was three year old, and this project is giving me a chance to utilize the materials I have been collecting which has been a big issue for me in my life. I am inspired that I can now use my art to communicate ideas and talk about both fun and serious subjects. The thing I like most about this project is the happiness I get from it and the reaction I get from people who enjoy my work. Exhibiting would give me a platform to show people my work and tell my story. It is a long term goal of mine to share my work and ideas with my local community. I also want to explore ideas of transformation with my own ideas and journey. Every year Australia consumes about 3.5 tonnes of plastic and only approximately 12.4% of this plastic is recycled. On average Australians discard 130 kg of plastic per capita. Research suggests that every year 130,000 tons of plastic waste ends up in our marine environments. People just don’t know this and maybe they don’t want to know this, so I am making this work to draw attention to the problem with plastic. Plastic gets into the food chain and is oil based and is not biodegradable. It can take between 20 to 500 years for plastic to decompose. I used to work grinding up plastic for Oak industries for recycling plastic. Not enough is being done to recycle plastic and I find this very hard to understand why. |
|
My exhibition proposal ‘Recycled Monster Art’ is inspired by the plastic I find and collect lying around on the streets in Newcastle, Maitland and on the Central Coast. This plastic rubbish I collect would otherwise end up in the oceans. I collect and organize and categorize these items. I take apart tv’s, printers, computers, coffee machines, photo copiers and general household plastic rubbish that has not been disposed of properly. With this plastic rubbish I create playful, funny and an ever growing family monsters! The possibilities are endless and I like finding surprising connections between the materials I am using. While this is happy and fun process, it is also about the monstrosity of the plastic problem.
|
Di Powell
Junk Hangar Wood, metal, seeds, pottery, insulator, wire Exhibiting at Swansea Not for sale Sculptural junk arranged on an oak Singer sewing machine lid. |
|
|
Diana Boyd
The 'Lost at Sea' days Reclaimed cedar Venetian blinds, upcycled hardwood window lintel, cedar offcuts, copper wire and discarded welding rods and welding wire. Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries This piece represents my ‘Lost at Sea’ days. These days are frequent, too much going on in my brain, too busy, confusion and foggy head. I walk out of one room to then walk into another and not know why. To combat this I wonder into my studio, light some incense, turn on an audiobook and just ‘be’ til the confusion lifts and creativity starts. |
|
|
Gemma Kirschner
Gone to Waste Newspaper, cardboard, phonebooks, watercolour, acrylic and pencil Exhibiting at Swansea Not for sale Gone to Waste is a papier-mache sculpture created to show the impact and scale of food waste in Australia. If you know someone in the food industry, you have probably heard the tales of mountains of perfectly good food being thrown out in the name of profit or ease. Maybe you have some vegetables at the back of your fridge that you have forgotten about, or perhaps the compost is eating a quarter of your weekly groceries. According to the Department of Climate Change, Australians waste around 7.6 million tonnes of food. This equals about 312kg per person per year. Food waste is preventable. If we take action, even in small ways, we can drastically decrease the amount of food we let go to waste. |
|
|
Grace Seaman Mayzie La Bird Foil, paper mache, discarded wire Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries Hi! I'm Grace, and this is my paper mache bird, inspired by the sassy and fabulous Mayzie La Bird from Seussical. Just like Mayzie, my bird loves to be the center of attention! I made it using shredded paper, tin foil, and discarded wire, all recycled to help keep our world clean. My bird lives in its own special tree, just like Mayzie, and it's always ready to show off its colorful feathers and say, "Enough about you. Let's talk about me!" I hope you enjoy my creation as much as I enjoyed making it! |
|
|
Lee Seaman - AKA You Give Me Grace
Back to School Shredded office paper turned into paper mache, cardboard boxes, egg cartons, cereal boxes Exhibiting at Swansea Not for sale My artwork was born from a desire to create more and buy less. I’m all about making anything I want for my home using recycled materials, especially paper mache. This quirky pot plant holder came to life using egg cartons, cereal boxes, Amazon boxes, and shredded office paper, all whipped up into my special paper mache recipe. My favourite part? It's 100% recycled (except for the glue and paint), meaning all those materials avoided the trash. Plus, the finished surface is so tactile and inviting—you just can’t resist touching it! |
|
Pam Garfoot
Vintage wrap collage
Scrap vintage wrapping paper, glue, gloss finish, used canvas, acrylic paint
Exhibiting at Toronto
Not for sale
Several years ago, when sorting through household items at my later mother's house, I came across a box of old gift wrap paper, mostly dating from the 1960s. I did not want to throw the paper out but hung on to it until this year when I decided to produce a collage from the Christmas wraps. I selected paper to fit with a Christmas 'feel', as well as some of the pieces with greetings to family members. This is a nostalgia piece.
Vintage wrap collage
Scrap vintage wrapping paper, glue, gloss finish, used canvas, acrylic paint
Exhibiting at Toronto
Not for sale
Several years ago, when sorting through household items at my later mother's house, I came across a box of old gift wrap paper, mostly dating from the 1960s. I did not want to throw the paper out but hung on to it until this year when I decided to produce a collage from the Christmas wraps. I selected paper to fit with a Christmas 'feel', as well as some of the pieces with greetings to family members. This is a nostalgia piece.
|
Rebecca Paris
Tattered Butterflies Acrylic paint, packaging materials, gel plate printed elements on recycled packaging, old books Exhibiting at Toronto Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries My piece is called "Tattered Butterflys" I was inspired by the impact our environment is having on our ecosystems, both by human intervention and waste products. Growing up I would see butterflys everywhere but now they are a rare visitor to my garden. The butterflys reflect a more visible impact but hopefully still captures beauty. I hope it takes you on a journey. |
|
|
Repair It Lake Mac
Dandelion Love Old bed sheets which have been dyed with Eucalyptus leaves. Stuffed with leftover fabric scraps from our Repair Cafe events and some odd clean socks. Exhibiting at Toronto Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries The Dandelion Family was created from using clean fabric scrap, household textiles and clothing that would usually to go into landfill. This project embraces a slow approach to fibre art, all hand stitched and embroidered with cottons donated to Repair It Lake Mac. |
|
|
St Mary's Warners Bay - Year 3
Tall Tales Paper cup, tin foil, crepe paper Exhibiting at Swansea Not for sale We are the young artists from St. Mary's Primary School, and we’re excited to share our 3D giraffe sculptures with you! Using simple materials like paper cups, tin foil, and tissue paper, we’ve transformed what could have been trash into something creative and fun. Our project shows that you don’t need expensive supplies to make art—just a little imagination and the willingness to see the potential in everyday items. By turning these ordinary materials into extraordinary giraffes, we learned that art is all around us, waiting to be discovered. We hope our work inspires you to look at the world differently and find beauty in the unexpected! |
|
|
The Salvage Sea Collective - Quinn, Grace, Gaye, Kel, Lee
Squidward Pool noodle, rubber seals, Milo cereal box, plastic bag, orange net bag, corks, plastic council pick covers, knitting needles, wood, metal tray, bread tag and many more Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries "Squidward" is a collaborative artwork created from recycled goodies and trash, including knitting needles, broken pool noodles, and plastic bags. Our underwater scene shows a squid swimming up to the surface, symbolizing the delicate balance of life beneath the waves. The message behind "Squidward" is simple but powerful: think before you throw anything away. Every piece of trash has the potential to end up in the ocean, where it can harm living creatures. By using discarded materials to create this artwork, we hope to inspire others to see the value in what might otherwise be thrown away and to consider the impact of their actions on the environment. Let's work together to protect our oceans and the incredible life within them. |
|
|
Susan Wicks
Net Loss An orange net bag that mandarins came in. A yellow net bag that lemons came in. Brightly coloured and patterned paper that toilet rolls came wrapped in. Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries My artwork consists of two plastic net bags that mandarins and lemons came in from the supermarket. The bags are filled with origami fish and cranes. My artwork represents the suffocation of marine life by nets in the ocean, and also the plastic that ends up in birds stomachs when they eat fish that have accidentally swallowed small plastic pieces that are floating everywhere in the ocean. |
|
|
Selma Barry
Forest Floor I have Recycled the corks and wires from the top of sparkling wine bottles and attached them to a piece of rotten timber from my yard Exhibiting at TBC Not for sale I so enjoy walking though natural bush tracks and viewing the vegetation. What grabs my real attention is the varying colour shape form and size of fungi as well as flowering plants despite growing in low light. I used pliers to undo the wires and then restructure them into a row of petals. I joined 3-4 of these together with wire to form a flower head |
|
|
Shop Number Four Creative Gang
It's a pet's life. Plastic bottles, cordial bottles, milk containers, paper mache, comic books, old toys, buttons, leftover products from 3D printers Exhibiting at Swansea Not for sale Our inspiration has come from our Lake Mac residents love of pets, especially our creative gangs pets from home & their imagination. So we will be adding a splash of colour with re-cycled bits & bobs to decorate their pet sculptures into the perfect pet. |
|
|
Ruby Class- GEM Academy Hunter Sports High School
Find Me in the Garden Pallets, hub caps, garden hose, garden pots, silicone pans, Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries The Ruby class has created a sculpture. We have collected found objects on our Leaving to Learn excursions including garden hose, hub caps and discarded fence panels. Our sculpture represents the class's strong passion and enthusiasm for gardening, recycling and art making . We have created a visual representation of an urban 'found' material garden. |
|
|
Ocean Room (2yrs-3.5yrs)
Ocean Room Bottle caps, straws, plastic bottle, string and cardboard Exhibiting at Swansea Not for sale This artwork was inspired by the seasons, with spring only a few days away we created a flower bouquet. It was made entirely of recyclables and was constructed by educator Georgia and the Ocean room children. |
|
|
Marina DeBris
Inconvenience Store Objects found washed up on the beach, repackaged in found packaging. Housed in vintage wardrobe free off Gumtree. Exhibiting at Swansea Not for sale Plastic pollution has become ubiquitous in our oceans and on our shores. The “Inconvenience Store” is set up exactly like a convenience store. The only difference is the store is filled with items found washed up on the beach. These items are be typical things bought at a convenience store - sunglasses, water bottles, candy, soda, thongs, swimming/surf/snorkel/fishing gear....and so on. All the “merchandise” has been repackage using found packaging materials. It makes visible, in grotesquely amusing fashion, what is often overlooked--but shouldn’t be. Ideally, viewers walk away aware of this growing problem and provoked to take some action. |
|
|
Marina DeBris
Barbie DeBris Collection: 1) Micro Plastic Barbie 2) Gomi Girl Barbie 3 & 4) Bycatch Barbie & Ken All the outfits have been constructed of washed up rubbish from local beaches. I found the Barbie Dolls thrown away on the street. The stands are second hand. Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries Australians produce on average 540kg of household waste per person, each year and purchase 27kg of new clothing and textiles every year, and discards 23kg into landfill. DeBris Barbie is a line of 'trashion' for Barbie dolls. All the outfits have been constructed of washed up rubbish from local beaches. The Dolls had been discarded on the street, and the stands are second hand. This waste signifies the need to rethink our consumption, and our quick disposal of items rather than reusing, regifting or repairing so they don't end up in landfill or the waterways. |
|
|
Lozzie Macey
Vintage Reborn Vintage embroidery and denim. Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries For a long time I have collected vintage embroidery to use in art work. Volunteering with Upcycle Newcastle made me aware of the crisis of discarded denim. I work on art quilts combining the vintage fabrics and denim |
|
|
Kerry Reeves
Beautiful shame Canvas, paint, rubbish Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sales enquiries I was sick of stepping over rubbish on the beach so decided to collect it and see if I could turn it into something beautiful |
|
|
Brian Clark
Think Ebony wood 'Danta' Exhibiting at Swansea Not for sale Ebony Danta from a scrap bin from a Hunter joinery factory - in the scrap bin - otherwise fire food. Modern art "Think" - variation on a question mark. Dark timber with a slight stain |
|
|
Brian Clark
Fighting Prawn Brush box wood, Black knitting needle, aluminium flashing Exhibiting at Swansea Not for sale Prawn - brush box, Aussie hardwood. Verandah post that had been pulled off a demotion. fins and tail - made from aluminium flashing. coal eyes on a stick, black knitting needle end is the eye. |
|
|
Ryan Greentree
Grandad Card board box and old house paint Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries This portrait was painted from a photograph of my father-in-law, Brian Webb taken early in 2024. The work is titled "Grandad" in honour of his relationship to my children. While I am local to Lake Macquarie, Brian lives in Meringo and has been an inspiration to me creatively, often using repurposed and recycled materials in his own artistic career including sculpture, building works and fine art casting collaborations with many well known artists. Keeping in line with this repurposed idea, The portrait is painted on a recycled Amazon delivery box using only old house paint that was found under a house. The paint was oil based, and had seen better days but I was able to resurrect it with some turpentine which has yielded rich textures. The use of limited colour and a non traditional substrate was a challenge but one that I found enriching. I have since completed 5 more large works using this method. I am inspired by the works of artist Dan Butterworth and his carefree style using found items. This is an exciting new stepping stone for my artistic career towards exploring sustainable options and I am keen on exploring new recycled materials. |
|
|
Sam Ron William Sampson
Flying V Electric Guitar old motorcycle chain, plastic board, old electrical switches, car reflector, welding rods, steel mesh, furniture items, ball bearings, copper wire, aircraft rivets, saw blades, link drive chain, adjustable rods, cushion pins Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sales enquiries Fully functioning Flying V Electric Guitar. I was inspired to create it as I myself like to play the guitar a bit and thought it would really be something to make a working scrap metal electric guitar that would also be a piece of artwork in itself visually. Sam Ron William Sampson Steampunk Centurion Lamp steel mesh, tea strainer, Co2 cartridges, push bike sprocket, claw feet, fuses, LED's, sewing machine parts, brooker rod. volt gauge, clockwork motor plus more Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sales enquiries This piece was made to resemble something with a Steampunk look. The idea was to make a lamp from something that had a totally different life so it will go on to function in another form. In this I used a Centurion Tank Fire Control Switch Box, and the end result certainly fulfills the initial idea, otherwise it would have ended up as trash in a landfill for sure. |
|
|
Sam Ron William Sampson
Steampunk Centurion Lamp steel mesh, tea strainer, Co2 cartridges, push bike sprocket, claw feet, fuses, LED's, sewing machine parts, brooker rod. volt gauge, clockwork motor plus more Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sales enquiries This piece was made to resemble something with a Steampunk look. The idea was to make a lamp from something that had a totally different life so it will go on to function in another form. In this I used a Centurion Tank Fire Control Switch Box, and the end result certainly fulfills the initial idea, otherwise it would have ended up as trash in a landfill for sure. |
|
|
Lake Room
Lake Room Bottle caps, ribbons and string, water container, googley eyes, plastic bottle Exhibiting at Swansea Not for sale The children have been interested in jellyfish, as we have some in a sensory jar/light. They liked to movement of the tentacles and wanted to create an artwork they showed the flow of the tentacles. |
|
|
Neve Redman
J.A.S.O.N (Just a Sea of Neglect) Beach waste and driftwood, found on Stockton Beach Exhibiting at Swansea Not For Sale I spent an hour collecting rubbish along the foreshore on Stockton Beach during the holidays as part of the Waste to Art Workshop run by ReNewy Newcastle and Newcastle City Council. My family used to live in Stockton and my grandparents have a strong connection with the area. It was surprising how much waste we could find on what is a pretty clean beach. We found everything from lollypop sticks, lost toys, and water bottles, and unfortunately, a used nappy. Along the beach was also a lot of coal pieces and broken glass that has been tumbled in the sea. It is really sad to see what ends up in our ocean and is left on the beach by people. I recently visited Birubi Beach at the other end of Stockton Beach in Port Stephens. These beaches are spectacular and such a drawcard for this area. We are so lucky to live here and should be caring for the beach and the ocean. Using driftwood and some of the rubbish pieces I found, I was inspired to make a sculpture that turns waste into art. This beach has been a part of my childhood, so I styled my piece like a child’s mobile. The pieces of coal and iron represent Newcastle Harbour whilst the other pieces represent a range of activities that people do along the beach. I hope that people stop polluting our beaches and ocean and learn that what they leave behind has an impact. |
|
|
Neve Redman
Chair Thrown out Wicker chair, recycled clothing, sheets and wool Exhibiting at Swansea Not For Sale I was inspired to make this chair as each year, the average Australian sends about 23kg of clothing to landfill. Australia is one of the worst countries in the world in the amount of textile waste. I’m very interested in learning how to reduce our impact on the world and reuse whatever we can. It takes about 8,000 litres of water to make 1 pair of jeans. It would take me 10 years to drink that much water! I wonder how much water it would have taken to make the clothes on this chair. I guess that’s something we can think about as we sit on our ‘throne’ and wonder what we could have ‘thrown’ out. |
|
|
Ingrid Schraner
Imagine Empty Coal-ash Dams – where will we be by 2030? Power station coal-ash mixed with clay Exhibiting at Toronto Not For Sale More than 100 million tonnes of coal-ash are stored around Lake Macquarie – a ticking time bomb as sediments slowly accumulate potentially hazardous material in the run-off and seepage from the unlined dams around coal-fired power stations. In August 2024 we invited workshop participants to imagine a future when these enormous amounts of coal-ash are safely and productively used. A future when communities led governments and industries to collaborate and to develop the factories needed to process the valuable rare earths and trace elements in the coal-ash dams. A future when these collaborations transform the huge amounts of silica and alumina in the ash into large-scale, profitable operations. A 3D printer provided a fun way to try out one small way of safely using coal-ash: mixed with clay into a paste, printed and fired in a kiln, the silica in the ash provides the glass-like properties that have been used for glazing ceramics for millennia. Why not use the ash as part of the material for the ceramics themselves? Small-scale ceramics will not solve the problem that results from the sheer amount of accumulated ash. But the creative process can help develop out-of-the-box solutions for a problem too big to fit into any one existing box. |
|
North Academy
Symbiosis
wire, cardboard, upcycled material
Exhibiting at Toronto
Contact [email protected] for sales enquiries
Students of North Academy have collaboratively devised a theme based on the impact that humans have on nature.
The background has been divided into four quadrants, representing the night sky (top left) and the ocean (bottom left) and the relationship between the two, as well as the day sky (top right) and land (bottom right) and the relationship between the two. Recycled materials have been used to create a tree in the centre. Students have decorated leaves to demonstrate their relationship with nature.
Symbiosis
wire, cardboard, upcycled material
Exhibiting at Toronto
Contact [email protected] for sales enquiries
Students of North Academy have collaboratively devised a theme based on the impact that humans have on nature.
The background has been divided into four quadrants, representing the night sky (top left) and the ocean (bottom left) and the relationship between the two, as well as the day sky (top right) and land (bottom right) and the relationship between the two. Recycled materials have been used to create a tree in the centre. Students have decorated leaves to demonstrate their relationship with nature.
|
Tania Rossiter, senior species coordinator, Hunter Wildlife Rescue
Don't Forget Me Resin sea turtle covered in plastic bags and various other pieces of plastic, fishing line and hooks. Exhibiting at Toronto Not For Sale We have a significant population of green sea turtles in Lake Macquarie. They are constantly under threat from plastic and rubbish, discarded fishing line and tackle and boat strikes. This entry was inspired by a recent rescue. BJ the green sea turtle, who had part of a witches hat crab trap around his neck. He had also swallowed fishing line. Taronga Wildlife Hospital did everything they could to save him. Tragically he did not make it. 'Don't forget me' is a call to all of us to bin our own rubbish and pick up rubbish left by others when we see it, It is a call to all of us to make a difference by the choices we make. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. By doing so you could save a life. 'Don't forget me' is in honour and memory of BJ and every other rescue that did not make it. |
|
|
Suzanne Curtis
Marble Hill Hut oil paint on reclaimed cardboard Exhibiting at Toronto Contact [email protected] for sale enquiries Using sustainable painting practices using used paints and reclaimed materials this hut comes from a passion for old and abandoned buildings. The emptiness and sadness that seems to surround abandoned buildings resonates personally with my own life experience. At times I have felt empty and abandoned. Using recycled materials and giving them another life allows me to feel like I have been reborn. |
|
Hamish Bartlett
Plata-porpoise with a purpose
Fabric offcuts sourced from Markers Place, cardboard
Exhibiting at Toronto
Not For Sale
Hamish was ask to create a mythical creature for a Book Week project. He decided to build a “Plata-porpoise” sculpture and set out to create it using found materials and fabric off cuts.
Plata-porpoise with a purpose
Fabric offcuts sourced from Markers Place, cardboard
Exhibiting at Toronto
Not For Sale
Hamish was ask to create a mythical creature for a Book Week project. He decided to build a “Plata-porpoise” sculpture and set out to create it using found materials and fabric off cuts.
Children of Woodrising Natural Learning Centre
Save Me!!
Recycled canvases from previous artworks, leftover interior acrylic paint, collected plastic yoghurt tops, texta marker casings and inside ink filament from art room Terracycle art waste box, paper tea bag tags, donated wool
Exhibiting at Toronto
Not For Sale
The children of the centre have been working on conscious sustainable and social practice projects as agents of change within the community. Alongside this, children working in the centre's art room, have been interested in dinosaurs and use printed and digital imagery as inspiration for their works.
When the children became aware of Waste To Art , they were inspired to make an entry based on their growing awareness of endangered flora and fauna species within their community, in particular the Swift Parrot.
Recognising their own human waste is contributing to their immediate environment, the children wanted to shine light on how the actions of humans in general are affecting the lives of endangered species like Swift Parrots.
Speaking for the parrots on their behalf, the children tell their story through imagery and text warning the viewer that if we don't stop destroying their habitat, the birds will go the way of the dinosaurs. The children incorporate their most common waste products, (yoghurt tops and texta markers) to address their own human waste in their immediate school environment.
Large black and white feet from a "dinosaur bird" replace the Swift Parrot's feet for a two pronged message: Parrots originated from dinosaurs and parrots will go the way of dinosaurs if we don't change our ways as humans.
Save Me!!
Recycled canvases from previous artworks, leftover interior acrylic paint, collected plastic yoghurt tops, texta marker casings and inside ink filament from art room Terracycle art waste box, paper tea bag tags, donated wool
Exhibiting at Toronto
Not For Sale
The children of the centre have been working on conscious sustainable and social practice projects as agents of change within the community. Alongside this, children working in the centre's art room, have been interested in dinosaurs and use printed and digital imagery as inspiration for their works.
When the children became aware of Waste To Art , they were inspired to make an entry based on their growing awareness of endangered flora and fauna species within their community, in particular the Swift Parrot.
Recognising their own human waste is contributing to their immediate environment, the children wanted to shine light on how the actions of humans in general are affecting the lives of endangered species like Swift Parrots.
Speaking for the parrots on their behalf, the children tell their story through imagery and text warning the viewer that if we don't stop destroying their habitat, the birds will go the way of the dinosaurs. The children incorporate their most common waste products, (yoghurt tops and texta markers) to address their own human waste in their immediate school environment.
Large black and white feet from a "dinosaur bird" replace the Swift Parrot's feet for a two pronged message: Parrots originated from dinosaurs and parrots will go the way of dinosaurs if we don't change our ways as humans.
|
Heritage College - Yr 4
Cardboard Cacti Beauties Cardboard, packaging, paint Exhibiting at Toronto Not For Sale As part of their exploration of environmental issues, the Year 4 students at Heritage College embarked on a creative journey to address waste and sustainability. Using redundant packaging from their school and a local business, the students transformed discarded cardboard into vibrant cactus pots. This engaging project not only highlights the importance of recycling but also demonstrates how everyday trash can be reimagined into colourful, creative treasures. Their work is a celebration of innovation, sustainability, and the power of rethinking waste. |
|
|
Owen Butcher
Cheeky Boy Found scrap metal self portrait Exhibiting at Toronto Not For Sale Hi, I’m Owen Butcher and I’m 8yrs old, I’m learning how to weld and I love to collect scrap metal when I go on walks. I like to create sculptures from the metal that I find. I’m in year 2 at Hamilton North public school. My Pa likes to make sculptures from scrap metal as well. Cheeky Boy has chain arms and he was cheeky when I was making him. It was tough to get him to come together, I made him from scrap metal that my Pa has collected from rubbish on the side of the road. |
|
Owen Butcher
Scul-pie
Found scrap metal self portrait
Exhibiting at Toronto
Not For Sale
Sculp-ie is a curious little dude who likes to explore and is super creative, he’s a mirror of me. It’s how I see myself. When I saw the burnt out car I felt like I could build something from it. Out of the scrap metal.
Scul-pie
Found scrap metal self portrait
Exhibiting at Toronto
Not For Sale
Sculp-ie is a curious little dude who likes to explore and is super creative, he’s a mirror of me. It’s how I see myself. When I saw the burnt out car I felt like I could build something from it. Out of the scrap metal.
|
DICKSON
HOOKED cotton & wool yarn and Fabric, fabric paint. fishing reel Exhibiting at Toronto Not For Sale My artwork is called Hooked and is a wearble artwork. The garment is designed to illustrate what it may feel like to be twisted up in a fishing line with a hook. It is a work in progress and is inspired by my daily walks at Myuna Bay outlet, where the impact of fishing lines and hooks on birds and sealife is very evident. The latest injury that I witnessed was a cormorant with a broken wing, after being caught in a fishermans line, the fisherman broke the birds wing attempting to remove a fishing hook. The colour scheme for the project is shades of whites and cream and soft greys. Using various yarns as a representation of fishing line. fishing Hook motifs will be either printed/ stamped or embroidered onto the body of the garment with a functioning loop to thread the fishing line through to draw the garment up, creating a look of ruching the fabric and a feeling of being twisted. The yarn thread will then be wrapped around the wearers neck and then trail behind and attached to a fishing reel. The neck piece of the wrapped yarn will have fastening that can be released( this will be engineered as the project progresses. ) The outcome is to be wearable artpiece/installation. |
|
|
Claire Nicolette Mitchell
Sea Grape Olive container, window flashing, industrial cardboard tubing, pistachio shells, shredded paper, coal, glass tiles, shells and grit, glue, paint Exhibiting at Toronto Contact [email protected] for sales enquiries ''Sea Grape'' This work is inspired by Kelp and Seaweeds washed up on the beaches of Newcastle. I find Kelp and seaweed beautiful and fascinating. It has extraordinary health benefits and its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is incredibly important in cooling our planet |
|
|
Sandra Irwin
Unearthed Treasures Unearthed Pottery and Tiles, mosaic Wooden table My farther Jim Brooke (deseaced) made the table some 40 years ago as Wedding present so it has sentimental value, over the years its tiles broke and was stored in the back of the shed not being used. Recently I moved to an Acreage at Eraring, where we built an new home. During the excavating a natural bush area to form a garden, I found a small glimpse of green tile, over several weeks of excavations by hand I unearthed buckets beautiful tiles, pottery and broken glass, along with many buried old chemist bottles. I attend Mandalong art Studio and was inspired by another artist, my creation Unearth Treasure is my very first piece of mosaic work, I love the texture of the tiles and the story behind its creation, it has become a talking point with visitors and inspiration to create more mosaic using the many collected pottery tiles, glass. I hope you can see the beauty of it's creation as I got immense pleasure out of brining Dads table back to life. |
|
|
Purple Card Project
Always Was, Always Will Be and Threads of the Forest Reject bags of local op shops Exhibiting at Toronto Not For Sale At the This is Not Waste collaborative textiles workshops, participants create a community-centred artwork using materials that could not be sold in our local op shops and were destined for landfill or export. This workshop aims to raise awareness of the burden of unsellable textiles on clothing resellers and provides useful tools to rethink and recreate how we perceive our old clothes. Over 100 hands participated in creating Always Was, Always Will Be at the 2024 AwabaMi festival, and will be gifted to the Justice Aunties following this exhibition. |
|
|
Tamasin Collins
Use What You Already Have Analog collages made from discarded magazines and books. Framed with unused but second-hand frames. Exhibiting at Swansea The overarching theme of these collages is overconsumption. As humans we have a tendency to over-consume ‘things’ as well as over-consuming the natural environment. I hope these collages provoke thoughts of our own overconsumption and environmental footprint. Even as individuals we still have a big impact on our environment. |
|
|
Rhia Heath & Alyson Smith
Ocean scene out of plastic tops to represent the plastic that is destroying our beautiful oceans. Plastic bottle tops and wood Exhibiting at Swansea Not For Sale A beach scene out of plastic bottle tops to represent the plastic that litters our beautiful beaches. |
|
|
Bonnie Lofberg
? decoupage/papier mache, homemade glue, recycled toilet paper wrapping Exhibiting at Swansea Contact [email protected] for sales enquiries A Lake Macquarie landscape using recycled toilet paper wrapping. I was inspired by the bright patterns on Who Gives a Crap limited edition Poetry TP and wanted to create an artwork representing iconic features of Lake Macquarie. I have planned to include Lake Macquarie, a jetty, rocky coastline, foot/bike path and grass in my landscape. It will feature some boats and local birds. My work uses a decoupage/paper mache technique where I have created home made glue. |
|
|
Jessica Brent
Textile Waste Self drafted quilted jacket using fabric scraps/ cutoffs from my sewing room. Quilted between sheer polyester curtains. Sheer fabric, button and trim thrifted from local opshop Exhibiting at TBC Not For Sale Quilted jacket made from textile scraps sandwiched between polyester sheer curtaining. As a home sewist who is attempting to create a more sustainable wardrobe for myself and my family, I still generate waste. I collect and store all textile scraps including threads, as textile recycling is not easily accessible and has a cost to the individual attached. As a home sewist, I still am contributing to textile waste, and as the fashion industry is the worlds 2nd largest polluter, I am trying to be part of the solution while acknowledging that I am part of the problem. |
|
Name
Title
Description
Title
Description
