We’ve all heard that “one man’s trash is another mans treasure”. That saying takes on new meaning when we view the world through the eyes of the artists featured in todays post. These talented individuals see possibility in the things we throw away every day. Instead of heading to the art supply store they just collect common trash and turn it into works of amazing art. Take a look at these 40 terrific works of art made from common trash and be prepared to start looking at your garbage in a whole new way.
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Artworks Made From Trash
Lampa – Sea Trash Creation
Recycling waste is easier than you think. Check out this lamp made from sea trash.
Nick Gentry
Discover the mesmerizing world of artist Nick Gentry, as he repurposes outdated computer disks and breathes new life into them through vibrant strokes of oil paint.
Shadow Portraits
Witness the magic as a seemingly ordinary pile of junk transforms into a masterpiece, revealing it’s hidden genius when illuminated against the wall.
Belen Hermosa
Got a few thousand CDs lying around? Have a seat.
Lamponi
Lamponi make some really cool lamps from trash. This one was an old steam iron.
An old ice scoop makes a good lampshade.
This old school hair dryer lamp and others are actually available to purchase. Check out the site for more far out creations.
Austinevan
This huge dragon was created using aluminum cans.
Sayaka Ganz
Sayaka uses reclaimed plastic material to build her wonderful sculptures. Look closely at these two and you can see plastic spoons.
Another great creation made from plastic objects, wire and cable ties.
Make Art Not Trash
Creative art works by Johanna Mailin Sternberg.
Yuken Teruya
Within the series titled Notice-Forest by Yuken Teruya, a tree stands inside of either paper bags or shopping bags, reminds that it was once part of it.
David Mach
This huge Gorilla was made from old coat hangers.
Another coat hanger sculpture from David. The protruding hangers make the sculpture almost look kind of blurry. Nice effect.
Jean Shin
“Huddled Masses” by Jean Shin is a captivating, technology-driven exhibition that intertwines e-waste and miles of computer cables, inviting reflection on the environmental impact of technology, planned obsolescence, and our digital footprint in the Anthropocene age.
Ptolemy Elrington
Unwanted and redundant materials have found new purpose in the form of a dragonfly.
Caitlind R.C. Brown
Step into an enchanting electrical wonderland where discarded bulbs come to life, suspended by strings that beckon viewers to unleash bursts of energy, transforming the “Cloud” into a mesmerizing spectacle of wired eccentricity.
Wasted Ashore
Art to save the sea.
Robert Bradford
Robert Bradford uses discarded toys to bring his ideas to life. How many of these toys did you play with as a kid?
Lion 2, a sculpture made out of tires.
“Chicklet” Trashion Fashion Art Ensemble
Check this wearable art fashion by Mary Anne Enriquez.
Jane Perkins
Alkesh Parmar
Immerse yourself in the world of Alkesh Parmar’s “Celebration Chandelier,” a breathtaking luminaire that exudes both luxury and sustainability, crafted with finesse using reclaimed champagne corks.
Jeremy Mayer
The artist obviously has a great understanding of the human form. Notice the old typewriter pieces on the lower abdomen.
Actually, both of these pieces from Jeremy were made from old typewriters. Check out his site for more of his awesome work.
Trash Can Art
Get ready for a mind-blowing transformation of the humble trash can.
Brian Jungen
This skull was crafted from old baseball coverings.
Another statue made by baseball gloves by Brian Jungen.
This is a lot of clothing. Guerra de la Paz repurposes clothes and shoes and turns them into an artwork.
Absolut Earth Day
Absolut celebrates the Earth Day as “Planet Earth’s Favorite Vodka”.
Leo Sewell
Strife
Scrap metal was used to construct this sea horse looking sculpture.
Moonlightbulb
This fantastic mosquito was once just ordinary trash. Now it’s a beautiful work of art.
HA Schult
Prepare to encounter an extraordinary sight: a formidable legion of over 1000 “trash people” meticulously crafted and assembled by acclaimed German artist HA Schult, presenting a captivating reflection on our relationship with waste and the human condition.
Photo of trash people seen from Rome’s Piazza del Popolo.
In his renowned 2001 artwork “Love Letters Building,” Schult adorned the exterior of a former Berlin post office with purposefully collected love letters, serving as a poignant ode to German romanticism and a nostalgic nod to a time when heartfelt correspondence prevailed over swift email exchanges.
Bernard Pras
Bernard Pras takes trash art to a whole other level. Absolutely stunning rendition of Bruce Lee.
Further Resources
- Amazing videos of inflatable sculptures made from trash bags.
- Lots of links to cool items made from trash and recycled materials.
- The imagination Factory – learn to make art from trash.
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67 Comments:
ok
i cant change my name????
Thank you to stephanie and jo for your inspiring comments.
Together we will beat plastic pollution!
Have a good day,
Yana
hey ya sooooooooo cooool
heyyyo this is so sik
i am amazed by your long descriptions and the way you are good at sculpting makes it even radder
keep up the cool wurk
from stephanie allstall
Beautiful creations just from trash! I hope it's cleaning the world right now.
cool robots :)
wow! beautiful arts!
I liked the ram the most
I liked the ram it the best
i like the 3 pictures when the person built the robots from the kitchen pans.
they used pots and eating utensils
i choose it as my favorite because it's something i can make at home
Hi Vitaly, Thank you for sharing this amazing collection of art! I represent WRAP - Waste Reduction Art Project. I'd like to add a link on our site to your blog.
Also, I'd like to invite all artists who create from 100% recyclable material to inquire to be added to our portfolio at wrapnow.org.
Thanks,
Yana
Thank you for sharing these artists, and pieces of art from them, for inspiring people like me to make art out of rubbish!
this is amazingly awsome
This is kinda epic
these are amazing creation thank you for raising awareness
Am an artist of the sort but OMG!!!! They are wonderful and prity cool!!! Fascinating wow!!Franklino
HEY! This is totally art! If you think that this isn't art, then you aren't a true artist, you downer! These works of art are great. I love the delicate beauty of the birds at the beginning.
i love this art!!!!!
GREAT ART WORK , love the cd chair!!!
In the curse of my life, I continue to be amaze by the Brilliant minds of humans.
If all the trash in the world is converted into art the whole world would be a big and beautiful art museum. The art works are terriffic. Congrats.
A great selection showcasing some fabulous artists. I'm pleased to see a couple I haven't come across before. Thanks!
Impressive work, surreal.
Is Beautiful all imagens
In front of my shop I have a tiny patch of dirt w some plants and to keep the dogs from doing their business there I made a chain fence from which i hung old discarded little plastic toys (it's a children's shop) as if they were ornaments. Little kids were absolutely fascinated by this fence- it was all junk, thrown away toys, but they recognized things or characters that they may have played with at some point. I also wanted to try to make the point of how all this stuff is way too disposable and there's not enough people to be making it into art to keep it out of the landfill or that swirling vortex of plastic in the ocean.
Hello, everyone. Here's a artistic robot sculpture I've made from junk materials brought about by the Typhoon Sendong (Washi) that ravaged our homes in Iligan City, Southern Philippines.
I hope that this may serve as an inspiration to everyone that after life's challenges, one can get back on their feet and find the positive things in life. Cheers!
AND I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ARTIST USING TRASH FOR ART. OH WELL!!!!!! RHEA
I build a lot of things out of trash or scrounged materials as I like to call it, my house, art work, and other stuff. This art is amazing thank you.
Great use for all the Aol disks
These are wonderful! What an inspiration and sustainable way to work.
Many wants to be surrounded by beauty and gold, and they say "who wants to be surrounded by garbage?" i say, i want to be surrounded by these treasures. excellent work to the artist. <3
The essence of every art is expression, whether it's made of garbage or gold, is not the heart of the matter. These works are living proof of that thesis. Respect !
These are truly marvelous works of art! I love your concept on using garbage to make such creative artworks! Thumbs up!
Love it!
Great imagination and true talent:)
A neighbour of mine makes amazing clocks out of found objects. You can see his clocks on this sight. I cannot get over how clever he is!
amzing...how do these master piece r made....m totally amazed n motivated
Very nice & inventive, like the toys made by african artists with used cans...
I like the CD chair i will try to make this one at home :)
These are so awe inspiring! My little 2D guys look so mild in comparison but your fabulous post has inspired me to try more/different/harder.
Thanks so much for putting these in one place to soak in the brilliance of these (without question) master artists.
One thing I would say, though, is that it seems to me that a lot of 'found object' artists are using new objects (or at least cleaning them to within an inch of their lives!!!
(
plastic and storage bins are both great, if i want a more durable storage bins then i would opt for steel storage bins :;.
steel storage bins are the best thing to use. they last very long and is recyclable too :
I always try to get rid of my rubbish responsibly however it is at times demotivating whenever I take a look at what some nations seem to be doing to this wonderful planet!
A really great collection of images.
Thank you for taking the time to put these together.
Nice creative work....
i like most...
hi
its nice and very good !
@RK - "Art is in the eye of the beholder"....?? :
Budget Raygun is prepared to meet all of your raygun-related needs.
Cool ideas! Love the Lamponi lamps!
fantastic work ... love the wire hanger sculptures in particular + the owl, goat + birds toward the beginning
some unique pieces here. Liked the concept.
Really Mind blowing... Great Post...Thanks for Sharing
Very interesting! I especially like the Horses by Sayaka and The soda can butterflies.
Eerily creative
Hi Ann,
Looked at your post for a second time. Do you know Thierry W. Despont? You should.
It's amazing, thanks for sharing
"i'm shocked."
Very cool! Love the guy with the pencil and shield :).
Some of those are really creative. I particularly like the dragon.
Awesome, great works !
Excellent. They are Terror designers. Catch them.
It is art. Maybe not fine art, but it's all art. The concept and meaning or statement behind many of these is what makes it art.
If anything, some of these are not made out of garbage, but art made out of other functional items. (I tend to think of garbage as stuff discarded-thrown away- after use) The pen lampshade is one. It looks like those are all new pens.
Amazing Artwork !
That being said, I bet you're an artist, hahaha jerk.
This post is a load of garbage. Or maybe it was simply ruined by the title. Little of this would ever be classified as art – many are functional objects, some is craft, much remains as garbage.
That being said, there are certainly some gems in here. Just think for a few minutes about your headline next time.
Great post. love the CD chair
Those are really neat and artistic.