Scroll down to watch our 30 min. intro video!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and one can find beauty in many unexpected things, especially if they have a creative and artistic eye. Upcycled art, otherwise defined as art made from trash, is a fantastic way to turn trash into sustainable creations to be enjoyed by yourself or others. 

When you embark on creating art made from ocean trash or art made from recycled trash, you open up a world of creative possibilities. Not only do you get to create something beautiful and unique from repurposed materials, but you get to do something positive for our planet. Making art from trash is an artistic movement that is gaining momentum all over the world.

Art projects made from trash are so appealing because they can be created by anyone, anywhere, at any time. They also cross multiple forms of artist design and media, from painting and sculpture to furniture and jewelry. Going green by making art from trash extends the useful life of materials and reduces the amount of waste being sent to landfills. 

To create art made from recycled trash, you will want to explore and experiment with a variety of techniques and materials. Some of the media used to create these expressions can be challenging to work with, but this trial and error is all part of the fun. If you are looking for some inspiration for your trash art plans, the following artists are one to take note of.

• Martha Haversham: This London artist creates collages and images from various types of waste. These works are typically related to women’s fashion.
• Betye Saar: Born in Los Angeles, CA, this African American artist is legendary for her works of assemblage art which explore the topics of Black oppression and the mysticism of symbols.
• Gerhard Bar: This German artist has spent over 20 years making plastic based art from all forms of waste. His art encompasses the values of aesthetics, social responsibility and ecology.
  
  

ARTiClasses’ workshop includes a six week course on trash art taught by Rebecka Dionne, who practices fine art in Brooklyn, New York and holds her BFA in Material Fine Art. She is passionate about creating art from waste products like plastic, items found around the home, and packaging. She embodies the ideology that trash art is anything but trash. 

Joining her class will give you the opportunity to work with a jovial and passionate master of the trash art craft. Through this course you will learn about the history of trash art, sketching techniques and history of famous found artists, material manipulation and creating samples, joinery and object assemblage, and finishing techniques. 

If you already want to figure out what you can actually do with things you already have at home or can be easily found, you are invited to watch this free 30 min inspiring demo!

Learn how to actually find what you need in the trash or in the streets with confident and shameless attitude, and plastic gloves :-)

Discover what you can do with:

• An old frame, a few nails and a string
• Some cords and wires and an old gate

 

Enjoy a relaxed half an hour and get some great ideas and techniques for making trash into a treasure!   

When you have completed your final work of art made from trash, you will have the opportunity to present and display your creation which will be based on the found materials of your choosing. We invite you to tap into your creative side and turn one man's trash into your treasure with our ARTiClass workshop.