Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1120739 in Books
• Published on: 1996-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From Amazon.com
Whether it is a dustpan made out of a license plate, a bowl fashioned from a bent vinyl record, a pair of sandals with soles made of Goodyear tire treads, or a tin-can lantern, folk artists all over the world are turning trash into treasure. Their found and recycled materials are reincarnated to create clothing, jewelry, toys, artworks, and useful household objects, such as a measuring scale made of two sardine cans. Focusing on the folk art practices of several cultures, this book is a celebration of the transformative genius of these artists, as well as an exploration of the diverse environments--from Ecuador and Mexico to Senegal and the U.S.--in which they live and work.

From Library Journal
The focus of this volume (and the associated traveling exhibition) is the increasing tendency of the world's folk artists to utilize the discards of our industrial and postindustrial consumer world as materials for their creations. In 11 essays, various scholars discuss topics ranging from the renowned history of the development of steel drum bands in the Caribbean to lesser-known examples of "recycled" art from India, Africa, Latin America, and the United States. The whimsical nature and surprising practicality of many of the objects depicted make the accompanying photos a visual delight. Highly recommended for academic collections, but the charm of the objects should make this appealing to the general audience served by public libraries as well.?Eugene C. Burt, Art Inst. of Seattle Lib.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
The saying "One person's trash is another person's treasure" is given new meaning in this lively survey of folk art made from all kinds of discarded industrial objects such as bottle caps, cans, machine parts, license plates, rubber sandals, and newspapers. Curator Cerny and folklorist Seriff examine this phenomenon on many levels, beginning close to home with an analysis of American concepts of thrift and wastefulness, our pride in ingenuity, and the gleeful rejection of the "fine" art world by "outsider" artists. As Cerny, Seriff, and their contributors broaden their scope and discuss examples of "recycled" art from around the world, they continue to analyze the "thingness" of Western society and the hubris of "planned obsolescence" and extravagant packaging. As we admire the ingenious creations documented here, which run the gamut from immense outdoor structures to jewelry, we salute the resourcefulness of individuals but hope for corporate, more ambitious forms of recycling in the near future. Donna Seaman