Recycled Sculpture » Michelle Reader, Artist Blog

Making Recycled Penguins for London Zoo

Two recycled penguins
I’ve been making penguins from random bits and pieces. Mostly empty paint tubs courtesy of Forest Recycling Project (via East London Community RePaint), but also tennis racquets, a kettle, light fittings, plastic bottles and coathangers and lots of other objects from reclamation yards and charity shops.
I made six in my studio with the [...]

A recycled award

Recycled award
Originally uploaded by michelle3duk
I was asked to create an award by LCRN (London Community Resource Network) – their first ever award, for ‘Lifetime Achievement’, to be given to Cam Matheson. Amongst other things, Cam pioneered a scheme for the composting of food waste on the Nightingale Estate in Hackney.
This sculpture is about 30 [...]

Redshank Sculpture at London Wetland Centre

RedshankWWT
Originally uploaded by michelle3duk
This is the sculpture I made for the Recycled Sculpture Show at London Wetland Centre in Barnes. I used 3 types of venetian blind (wood, metal and plastic), plus lots of other recycled materials – e.g. shelf brackets for the beak, shower curtain hooks for the talons.
The exhibition is on until [...]

And the rabbit…

Rabbit, recycled scupture

Originally uploaded by michelle3duk

Here’s the other sculpture I made in Hong Kong. A 3 metre tall rabbit. Both this and the chicken were made for an Easter exhibition in a shopping mall. Materials for this one include newspapers, envelopes, leaflets, tissue paper, plastic bags, juice cartons, fabric and cardboard [...]

My Hong Kong chicken

Chicken, recycled scupture

Originally uploaded by michelle3duk

Here’s the recycled sculpture of a chicken I made for ‘apm’ shopping mall in Hong Kong. It’s approximately 2.8 metres tall. Materials include yellow pages phone directories, coffee tins, coffee cup lids, gloves, juice cartons, fabric, plastic bags and cardboard [...]

Easter Sculptures in Hong Kong

I’m off to Hong Kong on Sunday. I’ve been making some big recycled Easter-themed sculptures for a shopping mall there (called ‘apm’). A 10ft rabbit and 8ft chicken. They built the main body structures for me locally, and I’ve been making the smaller detail parts at my studio in Walthamstow – heads, feet, tails, skin…. [...]

Aluminium Can Elk

Aluminium Can Elk
Originally uploaded by michelle3duk

This Elk is made from aluminium cans, with an internal support structure made from wood offcuts. I experimented with lots of different ways of working with the aluminium. Cutting, folding, nailing, wrapping, gluing…
I still need to try soldering – apparently it is possible to solder aluminium cans – [...]

The Mugridge Family

The Mugridge Family, originally uploaded by michelle3duk.
I was commissioned to make these sculptures by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council. They are a life-size portrait of a family of four made from their own recyclables.
They have been created to support Epsom and Ewell’s new kerbside recycling scheme, which will be launched in February 2009. [...]

Self portrait

Self portrait close-up, originally uploaded by michelle3duk.
This is a life-size self-portrait sculpture made from household waste.
She had her first outing at my open studios in Walthamstow, and I also took her to the Recycling and Waste Management exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham last [...]

Fox

Fox2, originally uploaded by michelle3duk.
I was at the Recycling and Waste Management exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham last week.
I was the only artist amongst lots of machinery and other recycling businesses.
I made this fox from scratch over the three days that I was [...]

Michelle Reader, Artist Blog

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