That’s Trash? Breathtaking Eco-Friendly Masterpieces

What do you see when you look at a pile of old newspapers or some empty soda cans? Most individuals see trash, but some artists see a medium with which they can create truly breathtaking, eco-friendly art. Gugger Petter is one of these amazing artists who can take simple trash and make it into something truly beautiful. In her creative pieces, she uses heavily lacquered newspapers to craft gorgeous faces, scenes and images. The transformation from trash to art is simply stunning – and the piece below entitled ‘Female Head/Madonna #15’ has a price tag of $12,500. Stuart Haygarth is a ‘lighting designer’ who creates absolutely magnificent chandeliers and other lights from seemingly useless trash. From useless plastic containers to old covers from tail lights – anything can turn into a masterpiece in this artist’s hands. This gorgeous masterpiece was created using more than 1,000 pairs of prescription eyeglasses that would otherwise be in a landfill somewhere. Called ‘Spectacle,’ this chandelier is absolutely beautiful and surprisingly elegant. Another beautiful chandelier created by Mr. Haygarth, ‘Optical’ was created using more than 4,500 lenses from prescription eyeglasses. Reminiscent of crystals or decorative glass, this chandelier is a shining example of how trash can become one-of-a-kind art in the proper hands. Jeff Clapp finds inspiration in trash found at the bottom of Mount Everest. Discarded steel oxygen tanks are one of the many finds Jeff has turned into beautiful art. He creates gorgeous bells that ring clear and are reminiscent of ancient temples, as well as steel bowls accented with exotic woods. Above are two different bowls created by Jeff, which individuals can purchase for around $700 to $1200 each. So why would you want an ‘Everest bowl?’ To many, receiving one of Jeff’s creative pieces of art is like having a piece of the mountain itself – and it’s a great way of keeping these discarded tanks from littering up our earth! Michelle Stitzlein utilizes all sorts of different ‘trash’ in her stunning sculptures. From rusty license plates and old piano keys to tin cans and many, many other found objects – Michelle creates whimsical sculptures that are both charming and colorful. ‘Obscurus Blatta’ is a beautiful example of the kind of art Michelle creates. Below, you’ll find another winged wall hanging called ‘OHO Roho,’ and created entirely from found objects and Michele’s vision. Old wine bottles hold a special interest for David Guilfoose, an artist from Wisconsin. Rather than allowing the bottles to pile up in garbage heaps, David uses them to create stunning lamps, bells and vases. These beautiful lamps are available for around $40 each. This creative and functional recycled art is a wonderful example of how artists just ‘see’ trash differently. These artists see trash in a different light - and create functional, beautiful art with that trash. How can we take something that is negative and make it into pure beauty in this way? It's a question I'll be considering for a while. Even if it's not a masterpiece, we can ALL learn to take responsibility and create something great from something that is considered a problem. All photos courtesy of the artists' websites.