Upcycling Trash to Treasure

Upcycling Trash to Treasure, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers,

Main Line Unitarian Church, Fireside Gallery

 Gretchen Altabef, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers. Adderall Molecule, Found Object Sculpture, Childrens’s Play Balls. “I envision this piece displayed in a school. Adderall is 100% amphetamine. Amphetamine addiction can occur within three months. And children are administered this drug for years.”

Forbidden Planet, Hugo Hsu, welded found object sculpture, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers.

“Dumpster diving (American English) (skipping in British English) is the practice of sifting through commercial or residential waste to find items that have been discarded by their owners, but that may prove useful to the dumpster diver. Dumpster Diving is also viewed as an effective urban foraging technique. Dumpster divers will forage dumpsters for items such as clothing, furniture, food, and other items of the like deemed in good working conditions.^{” – Wikipedia}

Billie Holiday, mixed media handbag, Eva Preston, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers

“Sunday is gloomy, my hours are slumberless. Dearest, the shadows I live with are numberless.

Little white flowers will never awaken you. Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you.” – Billie Holiday

Eva Preston always includes some dark glamour in her art, the recycled handbag collaged with newsprint is a metaphor for the old news and stories that follow a star. Being a member of the Philadelphia Dumpster Divers requires a bit of star power mixed with talent and Preston’s desirable fashion art is just as deep and meaningful as her mixed media paintings. And she’s really nice, as the group tends to be.

Eva Preston is an American artist and long time West Philadelphia resident. She is an accomplished mask maker, photo-historian, storyteller, costume designer, set designer and teacher.

Eva Preston, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers, mixed media. DoN expressed his desire to stroke the hair in Eva Preston‘s painting. She said, “Go ahead. Art is meant to touch you, so you can touch it.” The beaded hair is extremely beautiful and attractive, the Lichtenstein-esque figures reads naturalistically from across the room but morph into abstract expressionist shapes up close. The beaded dreads are thick and smooth to the touch, the clickety sounds of the beads like rain on the roof.

Ellen Sall, embroidery, needlework, sewing, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers

“I have to admit it, I am a hormonally challenged mother. My work is purely the result of years of suburban housewifery. This has forced me into doing extensive shopping and using power tools daily. With these basic skills in tow (or is that toe?), I fabricate my enlightened sculpture, (or dysfunctional lamps, whichever you prefer.)”

“Creativity, to me, is basically closing one’s eyes and letting it happen. Of course, it helps to open them when doing the actual wiring.” Ellen Sall, artist statement

In the Upcycling Trash to Treasure show Ellen Sall is showing two gorgeous sewn fabric, mixed media collages. The incredible depth of color and tone sketched out in teensy stitches and colored threads is painterly, sculptural and handicraft simultaneously. Somehow embroidery is a wonderful metaphor for the Divers since it takes so many threads of conversation, personality pairings and efforts of the individual to make the whole successful.

 Ann Keech, Alden Cole, Sally Willoughby, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers

If you want to be a Philadelphia Dumpster Diver your artwork has to stand out in a crowd but display is key. Known for their group installation art shows, the presentation of adjacent works accentuates and compliments the composition, like a still life from a wonderfully quirky art collector’s library. The ideology is to take materials that most think is unusable and transform them into something new and desirable using wit, ingenuity and style.

Sara Benowitz, Jim Ulrich, Gretchen Altabef, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers

Gretchen Altabef‘s Dali-Madonna is a take on the surrealist master’s use of jewelry as readymade body parts but her faded Madonna plastic is bedazzled. Such a wonderfully active word – bedazzle. We all know what it is, the act of glueing on glitter and sequins has become a cultural meme. Here the Madonna glows softly with humility in the Main Line Unitarian Church even though a Dali-nian mustache is drawn on her sweet face. DoN LoVeS Unitarians. They do nice work. It’s cool they’re hosting the Philadelphia Dumpster Divers Upcycling Trash to Treasure.

Burnell Yow!, Jim Ulrich, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers

Linda Lou Horn, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers

“I am inspired by non-art materials, old found objects that have had a previous life and not intended for the purpose I am giving them. I am inspired by the human condition, emotions, pain, fear, joy and whimsy.

I look to rediscover the spirited liveliness as the materials come together to form the figure. I want to show the possibilities and the best in what may have been broken, lost or abandoned.” Linda Lou Horn artist statement.

Linda Lou Horn‘s anthropomorphic creations are included in the upcoming art extravaganza called Circus Terminal USA, Workshops at Studio B, 39A, East Philadelphia Ave, Boyertown, PA, February 15th, 5-8:00pm.

Ellen Benson, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers

Dolls, totems, amulets, sculptures and adornments created by Diver Ellen Benson each exude a personality and spirit all their own. Even though the objects displayed as a grouping are a riff on a theme, each character is elegant and unique, speaking in tongues like languages from outer space.

David Gerbstadt, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers

David Gerbstadt created small sculptures under plastic cup domes. The playful constructs take recycling and anthropomorphism to extremes, using tiny scraps of wood, dabs of paint and glue, reserved and minimized to the point that the bits take on a higher meaning, a secret value emerges from the glamour of trash. Presented like precious figurines with the humblest of protection is authentic and aesthetic in a very contemporary, ironic yet traditional manner.

Diver Neil Benson said during the opening remarks that the metaphorical ‘stream of trash has become a tsunami.’ Gerstadt’s works speak of a time when resources and materials will be precious and rare, when everything is trashed and simple scraps of wood take on the anthropological meaning of the Venus of Willendorf.

David Gerbstadt, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers

David Gerbstadt created a 5/16th inch high sculpture displayed in a match box at Upcycling Trash to Treasure, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers, Main Line Unitarian Church, Fireside Gallery. 

Written and photographed by DoN Brewer.

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Tagged as: Dumpster Divers, Philadelphia art, Philadelphia Dumpster Divers, Recycled Art, Upcycled Trash to Treasure