Wednesday, January 23, 2008

"Sculpting New Uses for Society's Scraps"

From Waste news, 17 Sept. 2007

Program focuses on turning waste into works of art

Junkyard artists are not hard to find, nor are most of their works, but a San Francisco area sculptor is using hazardous waste to create pieces that don't resemble junk. Ellen Babcock uses polystyrene foam and layers of discarded construction sealants to sculpt works mimicking marble and agate. But she's not copying the media for lack of materials. Rather, through her pieces she seeks to draw attention to the scarring rock quarries leave on the earth, as well as the resources needed to mine and ship marble, quartz and other such material. "I'm more aware than ever that what we choose to use and throw away has impact on the earth," Babcock said. "That's our mission, basically, to encourage folks to recycle more, conserve resources and have fun and support the local arts community," she said.


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