Recycled & Sustainable Art

    
      Hello my loves, it’s Wednesday. That means it’s time for another chapter of The Artist's Survival Guide for the End of the World. As always I am your host, Kodi, and this week we’re talking about “Recycled & Sustainable Art." This is another topic I am personally very passionate about. Growing up in the Midwest we regularly cleaned litter, composted, and came together as a community to educate minds about the importance of actively cleaning up our impact on the planet. How does this tie into art? Reusable items such as dingy clothes, old books or plastic bottles are the perfect materials for a crafty Sunday. Not only can you cut your costume, art supply, and prop budget, you are helping the planet at the same time. So lets check out some ways you can create with a cause. 

     When I was a little girl, we didn't have much, but I was taught to make the best of any situation and see value in the smallest of things. For example, clothes to me were priceless. I developed an obsession with repurposing and recreating everyday items. I still to this day thrift shop and take hand-me-downs to create lewks. Thrifting was how the fabulous Emily Carroo and I designed the costumes for "Chrysalis" (@chrysalisimmersive). Here are some photos of how we repurposed our ripped tights and stained dresses. 

Hand painted, thrifted leather jacket worn by Terra Warman, photos by Valentina Ramos, from Chrysalis Immersive. It's a uterus don't tread on me snake... nobody else but Emily Carroo would come up with that! (check her out @emmycrazoo on instagram)

Caroli Nolasco's costume was a collaboration her and I concocted. Her gypsy soul shines through, and the pins on the repurposed jean jacket are logos for causes and artists that we felt passionate about. Her hair is created with hair wraps that in their past life were old pillow cases, a t-shirt, and a sweater. Even the lonely tambourine was saved from being tossed and given to me by Emily C. 

Emily and I created my costume with an old raincoat and a slip from Buffalo Exchange that we hand dyed an ombre ocean blue. The costume costed a total of $20, but it will hang in my closet forever. 😊

     On a more serious note, I want to talk about who makes the clothes we wear, and what happens to the clothes we don't responsibly dispose of or reuse. This is where the sustainability part comes into play. Shopping is fun, but have you ever stopped to think about the story behind that crushed velvet party dress you just bought? Much like the food industry, the fashion industry has a lot of skeletons in the closet. Ever heard of fast fashion? Its a concept fashion retailers use to market clothes that are commonly known to be quick and cheaply made, but trendy. These huge names such as Forever 21 and H&M outsource manual labor to other countries around the world such as Mexico, Bangladesh, and Honduras. People work in heinous conditions with unfair wages for clothes that ultimately get put in a landfill. It gets worse. In 2013, a H&M factory called Rana Plaza (Bangladesh) collapsed due to neglegence of safety codes by H&M authorities. 1,138 people died for clothes that may just sit in our walk in closets. Here is a visual that helped me grasp the impact of the cause and effect that us as consumers have. 

(http://www.nnyliving.com/index.php/2016/03/01/winter-2016-fashion/)

     BUT WAIT, there's hope because we have a choice where to spend our money, how we dispose of  our clothes, and use our art to shine a light on all the dark spots of our collective industries. A fun way to keep clothes from landfills is to host a clothing swap!

     If clothes aren't your medium, you can also reuse everyday household items for DIY household projects, children's craft time, or masterfully envisioned pieces of art. The possibilities are limitless, but if you need some inspiration start with a man named El Anatsui. He took recycled art to a whole new level by creating huge blanket or wave like structures out of recycled materials. His piece entitled "Earth's skin" was displayed at the Brooklyn Museum in 2013. 

     Finally as some bonus material you can check out my instagram story @kodilmilburn for my top 5 ways to reuse an old tube sock!!! Join me next week for more crafty ideas from Moms and Dads themselves in my blog "Art as a Legacy." A collection of interviews with artists and parents Jeremy Lardieri, Cassie Hyatt, and my beautiful shining star of a mother Jolana Varga. Thanks always for reading and don't forget to subscribe to my blog and comment your thoughts and ideas below! I put up blogs on Wednesdays:)