Art & Ecosystems

Tom Tsuchiya, "Embrace No Evil: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"

2004 (receptacle version 2023)

Japan popularized the proverb, “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”  In Japanese, it reads, “Mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru.” Because zaru is similar to saru- the word for monkey, the simian-themed pun was born.

To help prevent old CDs and DVDs from ending up in the landfill, this unique interpretation of the No Evil pun doubles as a receptacle for collecting discs including their cases. The collected discs will be donated to local schools for sustainable art projects.

Feed the monkeys!

Tom Tsuchiya, "Atlas Recycled"

This sculpture of Atlas promotes sustainability by serving as a receptacle for recyclable material including aluminum, plastic, glass and paper. In keeping with the ecological spirit, it’s made primarily from reused and scrap materials including foam, wood and paper maps.

After debuting at Cincinnati’s Fountain Square, "Atlas" including other versions of it, have been exhibited at New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, Washington D.C.’s National Mall and London’s Imperial College.

At 2015’s international ArtPrize, "Atlas Recycled" was recognized as a “Top 25 Installation” and collected more than 100 pounds of recyclable material. 

Tom Tsuchiya & Gina Erardi, "American Phoenix"

Scientific name: Avis rediviva americana

Continent: North America
Diet: aluminum, paper, glass, steel, plastics 1 & 2
Habitat: urban spaces
IUCN status: not threatened

The "American Phoenix" was born from reused materials, including scrap foam and aluminum cans. Unlike its more well-known Greek cousin, Avis rediviva ignea, the American Phoenix isn’t a fire hazard since it doesn’t self-combust. Because of its unique diet of recyclables, the Phoenix is praised for its role in maintaining a clean, urban environment. 

-Phoenix Wranglers: Tom and Gina

Alex Albrecht, "Cat O’ Dog Hair"

I have chosen to work with materials that come from things (or animals) in which I find comfort and ease my anxiety, stress, and overall mental health. Using my dog Tucker’s fur (golden retriever), I felted a cat because all my life my pets have always been there for me--Sometimes in ways people can’t be. Our pets are in our lives without the social obligations that come with human interactions, and this is what I seek after a hard day in the human world.

Karlee Banfield, "Disseminate"

"Disseminate" shows the growth and spread of things throughout the world. Good or bad things spread throughout the universe with or without allowance. “Things” may be pretty but may be hiding something deadly underneath or be free of danger. The only way to confirm is to get to know the “inside.” You are to get to know the world before you take on the world, and if you cannot accept the world and everything in it, you cannot fully be kind to the world. People, animals, and the earth are dying because people cannot accept the world they live in.

Olivia Faillace, "Honeybee"

My sculpture of a honeybee is made out of parts of a book. I was inspired by my appreciation of the beauty of the anatomy of bees and the help they are to humans and the environment. They create beautiful honeycomb hives and produce delicious honey that I consider a staple in my own kitchen. They are beautifiers of the environment--Without bees, we would not have all the beautiful wildflowers, as they are excellent pollinators. I hope that my sculpture can serve as a reminder that we need to protect and respect wildlife.

Kaylie Frede, "Our Hummingbird"

My grandma’s favorite birds were hummingbirds. She collected sculptures of them that were scattered around my grandparents’ house. Seeing her numerous knick-knacks every time I was at my grandparents’ house was a favorite activity of mine. When my grandma passed away, she left all of her knick-knacks to the grandchildren who wanted them. I incorporated the ‘family’ within the sculpture for the memories behind the bird, and used the addition of a rose as the flower: The name my grandma and I share. My grandma’s hummingbirds are the inspiration this sculpture of found objects, and many other projects of mine. 

Emma Garner, "Slingshot"

When I walk, I learn the most I have ever known to only find that I know nothing all over again. When I walk, all beings reflect the truth about my experience. My perception becomes a projection, and I have admitted it is necessary for me to look at myself especially when I am my most terrified. This is the only fool-proof way I can make a discovery.

Destiny Jones, "Shattering Species"

This is an abstract piece of a zebra shark using broken glass, hot glue, and patience. This piece is a response to the status of the zebra shark population being endangered due to the destruction of their coral reef homes and harmful fishing practices that humans participate in such as dynamiting and poisoning. They are declining and slowly breaking away in the wild due to these causes, and I wanted to depict this issue in this piece.

Christina Key, "Treasure to Trash"

The sculpture depicts a sea lion sticking its head out of the water, solely being made out of found objects consisting of plastic bags and fishing line. This piece comments on the impact littering is making on sea life. The waste put into the ocean can cause a permanent and impactful change to our environment and biodiversity.

Christina Key, "Sunbeam"

This sculpture is made out of chicken wire and rolled up pieces of paper, varying in width and length to create the sun. The sun produces light, heat, and solar energy for our environment, so I wanted to make sure that its most important feature is conveyed.  Inside this sculpture sun's core, are LED lights that are used to illuminate each paper roll that is repeated throughout, to fully convey each ray. "Sunbeam" is a piece that can be enjoyed both day and night.

Samantha Munyon, "Sea Cowboy"

The "Sea Cowboy" sculpture is a sustainable sculpture made from recyclable and scrap materials such as water bottles, cardboard, found sand, beads, and scrap wood. This sculpture was made to represent not just my favorite sea animal, but a unique animal called the seahorse. Seahorses are unlike any other sea animal that I have seen, so I wanted to capture all their uniqueness. I wanted this sculpture to capture the movements of their body along with the geometric shapes that their skin creates. In my process of creating this, I looked at many photos and videos of seahorses to study and capture the natural way their body moves.

Aaron Palmisano, "Modern Web"

This piece of creating a spiderweb made of charging cords and sticks from the forest combines two seemingly different elements in a creative way. The idea behind it is to highlight the connection between the natural world and technology; two things that are often viewed as being in opposition to each other. By creating this unique piece, I aim to provoke thought about our relationship with technology and the impact it has on the environment. By using natural materials and discarded charging cords, I hope to promote the concept of sustainability and encourage the repurposing of otherwise wasted resources. This project aims to engage conversations about the intersection between technology and nature and how we can find ways to coexist in this world.

Kerigan Pollard, "With Wisdom Comes Growth"

This project was made using old books and foam board for support. I chose to use all components of the book from the cover, to the spines, and of course, the pages for the flowers themselves. I thought of completing a flower vase to highlight the growth that comes from education and reading, while also being able to display it one day in my own classroom.

Alexa Theuerling, "Bonsai Reflections: Growing in a New Era"

Throughout this piece, Alexa explores the various materials through the restaurant and red solo cups from her house. Using every part of the material she has collected, she asks the viewer to look around the piece for straws, lids, and cups. She shows how our world is enveloped with microplastics in correlation to the natural wood grain and recycled materials used; it is a contract between what has been and where nature is going within our surplus world of mass production.

MinAsia Truong, "Full Circle"

For my sculpture I chose to make a Jellyfish, using plastic water bottles found in my neighborhood recycling bin and collected water bottles from peers. This material was accessible and free, also plastic therefore making it “sustainable.” It was a learning curve but an awesome experiment. I really enjoyed making this sculpture. I think being conscious of the materials you use is important especially when creating art. I think my piece has a sense of irony because of the “cycles” plastic goes through. We drink from water bottles so often and they sometimes get disregarded and damage the wildlife that lives and breathes throughout our planet. So, making sure to reuse, reduce and recycle is important to help the planet we live on.