Art professors took the trash-to-treasure concept into practice in choosing pieces for "Art for Change - Reclaim, Reuse, Renew," now on display at the Atrium Gallery in the Art and Journalism Building.
As part of the exhibit, professors looked at applications and photos of works from artists from around the world who took various items to remake them into pieces of art. Pieces include a range of items from brooches to chairs and a teddy bear made from recycled buttons. Using a variety of materials to create art has been around since the middle of the 20th century, said Nicole Cardassilaris, gallery associate and visual resource manager for the art department.
A piece known to many students is "Man" by Leo Sewell, she said. Sewell created "Man" out of a variety of regular household items in the 1970s, and it has been on display in the Ball State University Museum of Art since the 1990s.
Decades later Sewell and other artists are still creating art out of so-called junk, Cardassilaris said.
While Sewell was creating pieces from nontraditional materials in the middle of the 20th century, this type of art never received the type of reception that it does today.
Art made from recycled materials was often looked down upon and held to a lesser value than traditional paintings or sculptures, Cardassilaris said.
Art professor Kent Hall, one of the professors who chose the works on display, said the pieces should help people realize the potential recycled materials hold artistically.
"The artwork has become almost superior because it has put to new and good use something that already existed, while also filling aesthetic needs," Hall said. "This exhibition makes us aware of the possibilities inherent in a material-based culture."
A reception for the exhibit will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 3. The exhibit will run until Sept. 26, in coordination with other local events working to promote leaving a lighter carbon footprint, Cardassilaris said. These events include the 2009 Governor's Art Awards and The Living Lightly Fair.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
