Favorite Things--Trash

You've heard the old saw "One man's trash...." well, in the hands of Stuart Haygarth and Tony Cragg, trash indeed becomes treasure. Haygarth truly transforms the way we view everyday discards--things like old sunglasses, plastic bottle tops, pink plastic champagne glasses, detritis that washes up on the Kent beach near his home-the list goes on and on. But what he DOES with it is so simple yet so unique that for a moment, you forget what you're looking at. Take the photo below entitled Dispoable from 2005. You have to look at it awhile before you notice that's it's not only a gorgeous mod chandelier, it's constructed of those throw-away pink champagne glasses. Click on any photo below to take you to each artist's site.

In Spectacle (2006), Haygarth takes old sunglasses and uses them to create a lovely amber chandelier.

Raft-dogs (2009)-Ceramic animal figurines are rescued and shown in their best light (sorry couldn't resist)

Tide (2004)-Made from debris from the beaches of Kent

Tide (2004)-Again, made from beach debris but grouped according to color to amazing effect.

Tony Cragg has been up cycling before it was cool. These two pieces below are from the 80s. Click on either photo below to go to his site.
Union Jack-(1981)-Anthony Cragg brilliantly constructed his country's flag from the items it's citizens leave behind.

The Streets Are Full of Cowboys (1981)-Anthony Cragg