Zac Goldsmith visits Wetlands Launch of the Love London Recycled Sculpture Show and Green Festival 2009
Filed under: Projects News
Environmentalist and Ecologist Director, Zac Goldsmith, joined the Official Launch of the Love London Recycled Sculpture Show and Love London Green Festival 2009 at the WWT London Wetland Centre on a very warm & sunny June 4th.
The Barnes Wetland Centre witih Hammersmith in the background.
“We are delighted to host the Love London Recycled Sculpture Show this year,” said Martin Spray, WWT Chief Executive. “The exhibition’s ‘Wetlands’ theme incorporates WWT’s vision to raise awareness of key environmental issues affecting Wetland Ecosystems, whilst encouraging our visitors to reuse materials before discarding them.
Along with spotting all the regular feathered residents and visitors of the London Wetland Centre, 'twitchers' should now keep a lookout for 30+ more rare additions — such as the beautiful and majestic shopping trolley metal Heron, a canal 'find' by Ptolemy Elrington; a giant Redshank by Michelle Reader, made with an array of discarded household junk, or one of Chris Pilmore's creations, a stunningly intricate Perch constructed from waste plastic milk cartons, plant pots and perspex.
“We are going to have to find ways to design waste out of the way we live and do business and, above all, that requires us to start seeing waste as a resource," said Zac Goldsmith, "that will begin as a cultural shift, which is why this show is so exciting."
Cranking up the excitement with sheer scale and vintage presence, the "Blunderbird Moa Bike" by veteran recycling artist, Joe Rush. A life-size reconstruction of the giant flightless Moa Bird using re-assembled 1950s Royal Enfield Clipper motor bike parts. This 12ft flightless bird (related to the Emu) walked the earth only 500 years ago before being totally wiped-out by Man. An apt reminder that many species are facing extinction today because of man's insatiable lust for the Earth's natural resources.
Joe was a founder member of the 80's salvage art collective, Mutoid Waste Company, and his works are collected by Damien Hirst — who also commissioned a bronze cast from this piece on display.
Martin Spray said "The Sculptures are a welcome addition to the Centre that we hope will inspire creativity, and encourage visitors to think about the connection between consumer waste and conservation.”
Also at the Love London launch was London Sustainable Development Commissioner & Director of Friends of the Earth England, Paul de Zylva, and the Minister for London, Tony McNulty – who supported the viewpoint that incredible artworks such as the Heron should be put on public display on the plinth in Trafalgar Square, as suggested by Recycled Sculpture Show co-curator and director Caroline Read.
“We have sculptures on site that explore issues like the Pacific Ocean plastic soup, the problem of Bee collapse and the plight of the Tiger species,” said Anthony Wilson, Recycled Sculpture Show co-curator. “Visitors can look out for umbrellas that have become Swans, old tyres transformed into Crocodiles, and pickaxes turned into a Hornbill.”
The Love London Recycled Sculpture Show shall continue until April 2010. Don't miss the opportunities to join one of the future waste workshops and demonstrations planned at the Wetland Centre over this period.
For more information, please visit the website www.recycledsculptureshow.co.uk
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| Contact Telephone | +44 (0)208 747 8104 |
| Contact email | info@recycledsculptureshow.co.uk |
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