• 6 years ago
"One man's trash is another man's treasure." And it's a good thing.

Each year the U.S. population produces approximately 18 billion cubic feet of trash. To combat this exceedingly high amount of waste, artists across the country are transforming recycled and thrown away objects into unparalleled sculptures and landscapes. Open your mind to the beautiful works these artists create out of unwanted objects.

Follow the journey of hundreds of canned goods with Canstruction, as they take common food-drive products and use them to create intricate sculptures, such as rocket ships and cartoon characters. An annual competition is held where designers showcase their talents, as they create their own innovative artwork. Once they've finished their creation, all food from the used containers is donated to local food banks.

New York City commuters discard used and expired metro cards each day. German artist, Nina takes these thrown-out yellow and black pieces of paper and transforms them into recognizable City landscapes. Nina collects the used cards, cuts them into tiny pieces and organizes them by color to create collages that, at first glance, look like intricate yellow and black paintings of New York City.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and artist Ernie discovered a way to make breakfast cereal that much more meaningful. Ernie initiated a photo series project that looks at common cereals in a new light. Piles of frosted mini wheats could be transformed into an igloo, overlooking a skyline at dusk - a creative project that Ernie describes as entertaining to both the audience and himself. He may not have thought of it this way, but Ernie's art could serve a greater purpose - the recycling of cereals that have not sold.

Art is a form of creative expression for people of all ages and backgrounds. As shown by these innovative and unique artists, art can be used as a powerful method to tackle the growing rate of trash and waste abundance within our own communities.

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