Reduce, re-use, repurpose!

Our landfills are maxed out, there is a trash vortex the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean, and global warming is causing erratic weather patterns. These are huge concepts, difficult to grasp, but they can all be traced back to the individual. As artists, we are able to express ourselves publicly, and as teachers, we are able to influence our students, opening their eyes to issues of personal and global importance. Visual artists respond to their climate, and we are currently in a climate (literally) that is being impacted by depleting resources and global warming. We are a throw-away society, but the more we reuse, the less needs to be produced, impacting carbon emissions. Rather than throwing out the old and buying new, we should find new uses for old items, and reuse items that can continue to be useful. It is imperative for us as artists to find ways to utilize discarded objects in our artwork and studio practices because not only does each individual have an impact, but also by creating artwork with a message, we are informing and inspiring others to follow suit. Repurposing items we already have in our possession also cuts down on costs of expensive art supplies significantly. By reusing, we have a personal impact on the world around us, we send a message to others, and we save money. (Image from http://needled.wordpress.com)


Janet Cooper, an artist in Massachusetts, creates sculptures, dolls, and quilts from cloth, old tin cans, and various found objects. Cooper's art is a fantastic example of re-using and repurposing discarded items. Of her work, Cooper writes, "From my collections of discarded objects...I celebrate the commonplace, the past, the visual." The piece pictured on the left was made for War: Materials and Lies, a collaborative exhibition in Hudson, NY. The figure is made from Cooper's own recycled clothing.

I suggest planning a soft sculpture, self portrait, or fibers lesson based upon this piece. Teacher and students prepare by collecting clothing and other cloth items they no longer need or wear. Using sewing skills, students join bits of fabric to create expressive assemblage pieces. This lesson could be based on figure studies or could take another form entirely, perhaps with nostalgia in mind.