Congratulations to the Winners of Upcycled: Reclaimed and Reimagined
- 14 hours ago
- 5 min read
This April The Art Center celebrated Earth Day with a new exhibition. Upcycled: Reclaimed and Reimagined brought together artists who challenge the idea of disposability with creative reuse of discarded materials in their artwork. Every piece in the exhibition is at least half composed of recycled and reclaimed materials. The result is one of our most unique and fascinating art exhibitions to date.
Humanity produces garbage at increasingly alarming rates. The recently published World Bank Group Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management found that “global waste generation is rising faster than previously projected,” citing rapid growth in population and increased consumption as two major contributors to the increase. All that waste has to go somewhere, and this causes global problems. There are now five major garbage patches floating in the ocean, made of a mix of larger pieces of garbage (like bottles and fishing nets) and the much more insidious microplastics that are extremely difficult to remove. Additionally, forty percent of worldwide waste ends up in open air landfills that off-gas methane and allow toxins to leech into the soil and water.
The artists of Upcycled are helping to combat this problem by reinventing discarded materials into timeless works of art. The result is an exhibition that is clearly hitting a chord and has drawn people deep into its message. We’ve seen almost double the usual foot traffic of people coming specifically to see this show and it’s been one of the best exhibitions for artwork sales we’ve ever had. And, while not the highest grossing gallery exhibition we’ve had in terms of art sales, it is the most we’ve seen in individual number of pieces sold. It’s been amazing to witness the way people have been connecting to this show. You may have even seen it on the front of the Johns Creek Herald this month!
Artist Leslie Murphy had the unenviable task of being the judge for this exhibition. After hours of deliberation, she chose the following pieces as the winners of the show:
Best in Show- Grizzly Watching by Mari Jablonski
“From an ecosystem of reimagined public land maps and brochures, a grizzly's steady eye emerges as a symbol of resilience, prompting reflection on habitats persisting within and beyond our boundaries.”
– Mari Jablonski
Mari Jablonski is a fiber and paper artist who works with discarded pamphlets and marketing publications. Maps, magazines, newspapers, and brochures get transformed through cutting and shredding, then reimagined with a range of techniques that include spinning, quilling, weaving, and golden venture folding.
Grizzly Watching utilizes National Park Service maps and brochures. As Mari states, these are “materials meant to categorize, manage, and navigate nature – I challenge the perception of public lands and landmarks as neatly outlined resources to be managed or consumed, while simultaneously reflecting their vulnerability at human hands in the face of climate change, extraction, and political instability.”
The juror’s comments:
Everything about this piece was done with such precision, care, and and craftsmanship. The more I looked, the more I found. It has a lovely, flowing composition and a great sense of color harmony. The artists use of maps and brochures created a wonderful sense of unity and the three dimensional elements added so much texture, interest, and a sense of flow. This piece is just striking and so well done.
Juror’s Award- Cosmic Gaze by Keith Burruss
“We stand underneath the night sky, looking up at the stars. Maybe some of the stars look back at us. Make a wish.”
– Keith Burruss
Keith Burruss specializes large-scale sculptures out of recycled cardboard and hot glue, transforming this simple material into these incredible whimsical forms.
The juror’s comments:
I love how delightfully weird this piece is. The form is fluid, yet the cardboard it's made from is also rigid. This piece also creates such cool shadows on the wall, adding to the sense of scale. The eye follows you around the room, making you a little uncomfortable, while also inviting you to stare back. The craftsmanship on this piece is impeccable and the choices made by this artist seem very deliberate.
Honorable Mentions
Good Depression by Mary Bryan Bee Giroux
“Depression has its own architecture: layers, repetitions, unexpected alignments. I build through that structure piece by piece, until the discarded becomes deliberate and fragments become whole.”
-Mary Bryan Bee Giroux
This striking piece pulls together a range of discarded items, bits of plastic, cardboard, toys, and more into a single composition unified by black paint.
The juror’s comments:
This assemblage is just so well crafted and fascinating to look at. The frames within the frame give a strong sense of structure and balance, while the objects within each frame seem to have some sort of narrative. The many textures and forms all unified with glossy black paint invite the viewer to keep looking and keep discovering.
Imagen LoveCraft by Tracey-Ann Jarrett
“Using salvaged objects, repurposed garments, and found elements, I build characters that carry both visual impact and conceptual meaning.”
-Tracey-Ann Jarrett
Imagen LoveCraft, the Memory Tinker, is a wearable costume created out of found objects including chicken wire, maple syrup bottles, a laundry soap scoop, an oatmeal container lid, and scrap ribbon. Together they form the outfit of a fantastical character who can extract memories and photoengrave them.
The juror’s comments:
I love the steampunk feel that this piece has. This artist strikes an interesting balance between fashion and sculpture with her use of found objects.
Springtime Hex #1 by Opal Buttons
“In a reality where my body can feel unpredictable, the tactile process of breaking down paper into pulp becomes a restorative act of resilience. I find freedom in the unpredictable textures of the fibers, mirroring my own path of navigating chronic illness with grace and adaptability.”
– Opal Buttons
The Springtime Hex series is created from recycled pulp paper and pulls from the folk art tradition of Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs. Springtime Hex #1 uses hearts to welcome love, tulips to welcome hope, and bees to welcome harmony. The beautiful texture is paper impasto on wood, utilizing watercolor for shading.
The juror’s comments:
The round composition and mandala-ish pattern has a wonderful sense of balance and the bees making their paths throughout give a sense of renewal and life.
Animal Lover by Kathleen Taylor
“I am a storyteller who uses mixed media to translate my memories and observations into paintings and collages. My images are inspired by my affection for the ordinary moments in everyday life.”
-Kathleen Taylor
Animal Lover uses vintage paper, colored pencils, and markers to pull on folk art traditions to portray the character and collection of beloved animals.
The juror’s comments:
The drawing style for this piece is so unique and illustrative. It has a beautiful sense of color harmony and the patterns on the vintage paper lend a strong sense of unity throughout.
You still have a chance to see Upcycled before it closes on Saturday May 16. We encourage you to join us for the closing reception from 6:00-7:00 pm on Saturday! Several of the artists will be present to talk about their work and our Guild provides some incredible desserts for the evening (plus, as always, free wine!). It’s a great date night, and this show is also fun for the whole family to view.
Our next show will be the High Honors exhibition of middle and high school artists. We are still accepting submissions from students in Fulton, Forsyth, Gwinnett, and Dekalb counties. Summer Serendipity has also opened up for entries from adult artists who want to compete in our annual juried exhibition, which has a grand prize of $1500!
