Upcycled @ The Morean Art Center (MAC)

The MAC 's concept behind the "Upcycled" show is simple: Art made using recycled materials. The artists involved do this for  a variety of reasons: Political, environmental, metaphorical, etc.

Nancy Cervenka, "Faux Teapot"

This exquisite teapot is not made of metal or ceramic. It is made of Film. Used and discarded 35mm movie film wound up, molded and glued into place. Nancy Cervenka, one of the area's best and most respected artists has worked with this material for a long time. Her work has been reviewed here many times, and she made my "Dear Santa" list for 2011.

Steven and Brenda Gregory, "Atlas".

From Steven and Brenda Gregory's Studio Beings series, is "Atlas". Measuring about 14" high, made from metal bits, this legendary character from Mythology is abstracted out in this guise. The sculpture is richly textured, a little bombastic,  and has great presence.

Lucinda Linderman, "Reflux"

Lucinda Linderman's "Reflux" is about 3 feet long, and made of reclaimed plastic and clothing. The piece is self-referential in that it disgorges the materials from which it is made, and the title also alludes to that.

Laura Recanati, "Fifi Chair"

"Fifi Chair", by Laura Recanati is one of three she has in this show. A life-sized mixed-media piece, it may be made of discarded materials, but it really looks like something made for royalty. Perhaps a political statement.

Charles Parkhill, "Violet's Lament"

Wood sculptor Charles Parkhill used salvaged wood for "Violet's Lament", a sensuous Modernist-looking sculpture about two feet tall. His work has been reviewed here, from the Mainsail show, and I've had the privilege of visiting his home gallery in Seminole Heights.

Laura Recanati, "Leila"

A life-sized female torso by Laura Recanati, named "Leila". This scupture has a futuristic, yet tribal feel, almost like a religious icon. Beautifully executed, it also has a male companion piece not pictured here.

Rose-Marie Prins, "War Machine for a Banana Republic"

Rose-Marie Prins is an artist at ease in a variety of media and forms. This small installation (less than a square yard) is composed of two main pieces, the three panels, made of Masonite and Banana bark, with mschine blades on them, like a gaping maw around a smaller piece labeled "Banana Republic".

Work by Saori

This tree may look familiar. It was part of the Winter Wonderland installation at Olio gallery in the Crislip Arcade, a collaborative work by Saori and several members of the Thought Coalition. Here the tree bears origami fruit made from recycled materials.



Congratulations to all the artists in the show and the Morean Art Center for a diverse and ecologically conscious show.