10 Awesome Recycled Art Sculptures
The green movement is taking root all over the world, and from that movement has come some astonishing recycled art! Whether on the street or in a museum, these sculptures are unique in their beauty. Many recycled medium artists also sell small versions of their art for collectors at art shows or gallery shops.
This sculpture is the pinnacle of responsible art. Created primarily from reused maps and materials, the sculpture also serves as a recycling receptacle on the National Mall, accepting cans, bottles, and paper. The artist is Tom Tuschiya, and Atlas Recycled was build in DC in 2015. Smaller versions have been seen in NYC and at the Smithsonian, and another is scheduled to be built in Paris.
This sculpture series is located in Gateshead Park in Great Britain. It was built by Sally Matthews in 1992, representative of the goats that used to regularly graze in the area. The sculptures are made from recycled scrap metal, and can still be visited within the park.
This fun and futuristic sculpture was erected in Belfast in an attempt to get citizens of the city to take a hard look at how much electricity the city consumes. All the individual pieces used in the sculpture were collected from the local recycling center within just three days! The artist behind the sculpture is Colin McKnight.
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This giant egg is an art installation in Palo Alto California. The sculpture was a commission piece made by Adriana Varella and Nilton Malz. The sculpture is largely made with recycled computer circuit boards and is covered in technological phrases written in a variety of languages. The sculpture was installed in 2005 and designed to recognize the city as the birth of Silicon Valley.
Posted on Reddit by user Mrcchapman, this enormous Godzilla sculpture is made from recycled spray cans and old tires. It was recently constructed, and can be visited at the street art park in Tai Pei.
Project Morrinho is a miniature Rio de Janeiro that was started by a local boy, Nelcirlan Souza de Oliveira, in 1988. It was intended to be a way for the children at the to escape the harsh reality of living in poverty, but has grown to be as much of an art installation as a game of pretend. Each “building” is made from recycled building materials. The miniature city has been a source of documentaries and tourism to the city, garnering international attention from art critics and journalists.
The Magic Gardens in Philadephia is a huge art installation by artist Isaiah Zagar and includes installations from artists all over the world. It spans multiple lots, totaling over 3000 square feet, with wall mosaics including materials that span from glass bottles to bike tires and beyond.
Lincoln Street Art Park is a sculptural park built on a former industrial site. Frank the Dino, seen here, is a 40-foot-tall dinosaur made from recycled pieces. Many of the sculptures on the grounds are built with recycled items that are dropped off at the art park.
Installed by Danish artist TEJN, this sculpture is part of the “Lock-on” movement, whereby street artists lock their sculptures to public furniture or places using bike locks and chain. This particular sculpture features a man reaching towards a bolt cutter to free his other hand that is locked to the bars behind him. It is made from recycled scrap metal.
Recycled Alien
This statue of the creature from the movie “Alien” was created by the artist group Recycle Art which is based out of Germany. Each creation is made from old car and motorcycle parts that have been welded together to create masterful sculptures. This company often does commission work for small versions of their larger installation pieces!