landfillart.org - an artist reclamation project

A couple of months ago blogging buddy Jo Murray sent me a link to Landfillart.org  - taken from the Landfillart's website:

"Landfillart is an international effort encompassing one-thousand-forty-one (1,041) artists to claim a piece of rusted metal garbage and create fine art."

The 1,041 pieces of rusted metal are actually old automobile hub caps from the 1930’s through the 1970’s. Each hub cap, after being cleaned and primed, is affectionately called a “metal canvas.” Although most “metal canvases” have been transformed by the artist using oil or acrylic paint, some have been weaved on, glued or screwed or welded to, or made into fine sculpture.

Although the project is in its infancy (I hope to have it completed by 2012,) it evolved from a simple idea of taking forty-one old rusted hub caps and creating forty-one pieces of great art. The second phase has already started with the acquisition of one thousand additional (1000) rusted hub caps which will be turned into cleaned and primed “metal canvases. The project will continue with finding one thousand (1000) talented artists who believe in this project.

The third phase will involve publishing a book on the project showcasing all one thousand forty one (1,041) completed “metal canvases.”

The fourth and final phase will involve choosing 200 metal canvases that adequately represent the project and create a traveling show. The book and traveling show will publically portray the global art community's effort to positively impact the environment through repurposing previous metal waste into great landfillart. - Ken Marquis, founder.

No hesitations for me, already on a mission to reclaim and recycle landfill.  I didn't even consider how difficult it might be to source a hubcap, I just knew I wanted to participate!! A text to friend Jen (works in the car part industry) who replies, "a 1930-70's hubcap, that may be challenging, but I'll ask around." Well, it just so happens that Jen did source me a hubcap, a 1970's Holden hubcap to be precise, and by the end of the day, howz that for chance! Once again my ever welcoming laws of 'Chance' plays a role in my process...

And, the numbers 1041 resonate with me too - ever since living in a haunted house numbered 1041 some 20yrs back! Have you ever encountered a familar number bobbing up all the time?? Well mine is 1041 - on shopping receipts (being the time of sale), everytime I look at a digital clock - 1041 am or pm, it's uncanny how many times these numbers bob up! This was just another one of those 'times'.

So here's my yummy hubcap... front and back.

The idea is to create a 'metal canvas', it was so tempting to keep the rust but oddly enough for some reason even I was compelled to polish. Glen, said to me as he walked by, "What are you doing!" in that tone (knowing I'm usually pouring acid on to make things rust). I just looked up at him and said, "I dunno! I know this is strange for me, but for some reason I just feel I need to (polish it)."

I think the act of polishing transported me back to the carefree days of my childhood - As a kid I spent hours polishing the chrome on my Dragstar pushbike, I rode my deadlytreadly everyway and I took great pride in that shine. ..sigh!

String Art - I've had a hankering to play with copperwire and string art.

Drilled holes and glued horseshoe nails with industrial strenght two part apoxy - making an outer circle, then string art building up several layers....
 

The second circular ring of horseshoe nails in the centre, numbered to guide me with the copperwiring sequence.

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Apart from the final polish the finshed piece pictured above, and below all safely wrapped and boxed. My finsihed hubcap is in the post on it's way to Pennsylvania!!! :-D