Environmental Artist John Dahlsen

An appreciation for art is a commendable trait in any individual. Art in all forms is about expression, feelings, thoughts, and moods – and conveying those to others. Environmental art takes all of those things and combines it with a passion to be good to our Earth – and that is truly commendable. John Dahlsen is an environmental artist who creates sculptures and ‘paintings’ with found objects, typically from Australian beaches. For more than ten years, John has been combing the beaches for plastic, driftwood, glass and other objects. Using his passion to reduce litter washing up on the shores, John creates gorgeous works of art with it. Plastics Art: Using bits of found plastic bags and other kinds of plastic, John creates amazing paintings like the ones below, entitled Plastic Bag Abstraction and Self Portrait from Found Plastic 2009. The plastics enhance the paintings and bring them to life, while turning ugly trash into pure beauty. Driftwood Art: The driftwood art John creates from the driftwood he has spent years collecting. Below, you’ll see how John has turned that driftwood into gorgeous art pieces in works (6 Driftwood Totems and Driftwood Sculpture Trio.) Found Object Art: Using other objects that are found and recycled, John creates commissioned pieces for cities, parks and businesses. The objects differ depending upon what John finds and could range from recycled surf boards to concrete and metal. Below are examples of those commissioned pieces. The first, entitled ‘The Guardian’ is made from scraps of steel guardrails and concrete pipe. The second, entitled ‘Convention Centre Jewell Sculpture’ is created from found objects such as fibre optics and stainless steel.

John is a perfect example of an artist contributing to both the beauty of the world and the health of our Earth! All photos belong to and are courtesy of www.JohnDahlsen.com

From 'Dead Trees' to 'Masterpieces'

Turning dead trees into works of art may not do a whole lot for the health of our planet, but in many cases it’s an amazing way of creating beauty where tragedy once visited – and to create another purpose for a tree that is no longer alive. For instance, along Beach Boulevard in Biloxi, MS – one of the most devastated areas Hurricane Katrina left behind, dead oak trees are receiving a new purpose. Rather than yanking the crumbled and broken trees from the median which runs parallel to the Gulf of Mexico, mayor A.J. Holloway commissioned a ‘chainsaw artist’ to transform the median full of dead trees into something of an art gallery. Although hundreds of new trees were planted in Biloxi after Hurricane Katrina – it seemed as if this project was needed; a way to create beauty from the disaster which occurred in South Mississippi and the surrounding areas. Artist Dayton Scoggins started work in Biloxi in 2007 and now those dead trees have been molded into amazing works of art – from pelicans and dolphins to blue marlins and sharks. This same artist has successfully represented the US in many international wood-carving competitions and has won several awards. He’s not the only ‘chainsaw’ artist, though – in fact, throughout the US there are many individuals who have turned dead trees into works of art. Barbara Yates, another environmental artist, has been turning dead trees into works of art for various museums and organizations for quite some time. In fact, one of her most beautiful carvings is a Kanzeon or Japanese Quan-Yin, created for the Zen Center in Los Angeles. It’s amazing to know that when individuals like Dayton Scoggins and Barbara Yates see dead trees – they are seeing a canvas with which they can create works of pure beauty and art. It just goes to show what can be created when you look at 'garbage' with a fresh and creative perspective.