The Art of Recycling (Metal & Plastic)

Come visit the St. George Art Museum to see its latest gallery exhibit, “The Art of Recycling (Metal & Plastic).” Featuring the work of artists Dana Russell and Sayaka Ganz, this exhibition resounds with the use of recycled materials by turning them into works of genuine art.

Dana Russell creates his artwork by welding together found pieces of discarded materials, mostly metals, in a creative way. He asks the viewer to think about how his pieces make them feel. “When you do that you will be relating more closely to my feelings when I produced it,” he said. “Truly, what you see is what you get. And although I do not make art to impress others, I do make art to share my feelings.”

Sayaka Ganz grew up with Shinto animist beliefs that all things in the world have spirits. Thus, discarded items on the street or thrift store shelves create a feeling of deep sadness for them, and the artist is moved to make these abandoned objects happy.

The pieces in Ganz’s exhibit use mostly plastic household items to create animal forms with a sense of movement and self-awareness. “One of the important tasks for artists of our time is to bring more of the natural world back into people’s lives,” he said. “When we encounter the true wonders of nature, the beauty we behold transcends our intellects and reaches directly to our hearts. I desire a similar response from viewers of my work – to provoke a reexamination of our relationship to the natural world.”

“The Art of Recycling (Metal & Plastic)” is now on display at the St. George Art Museum (47 E. 200 North) through April 28, 2018. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for children age 3-11, with free admission on Thursday nights from 5 to 8 p.m.