My experiments with urban waste
Over the years, in our annual exhibitions, I have experimented with urban waste, as a source of art and expression. Initially, I worked with various discarded auto parts - I had an old car that frequently threw up these various parts at me!
The next year, and I had some discarded radiators to work with! They provided "surfaces", but lacked colour and focus. Coloured berries and bleached and painted coconut fibre I thought provided a dramatic effect! However, many of my friends who saw this stood in disbelief that I could call this Ikebana!! Like a mother defending her child though, I have a soft corner for this creation, and actually prefer it over my earlier attempt, which I thought was childish.
The next year, we sold the car, and with it went my "source" of material!
I have enjoyed creating these works, but I know that quite often it does not appeal to the purist.
Car parts - an early attemptI recall using these old silencers with the exhaust pipes forming the main lines! My father gave me some tips as to how to make them stand, and where I could fill water, for the fresh material! My mother of course was the sounding board and provided me the encouragement to try this idea. It was also the first time that I worked with limoneum, the everlasting flower, which was used to soften the harsh, metallic lines of the pipes.
I imagined the creation to show how even in our urban jungles, there are spots of life (the red carnations!), to brighten our life, and all we need to do is to look out for them.
The next year, and I had some discarded radiators to work with! They provided "surfaces", but lacked colour and focus. Coloured berries and bleached and painted coconut fibre I thought provided a dramatic effect! However, many of my friends who saw this stood in disbelief that I could call this Ikebana!! Like a mother defending her child though, I have a soft corner for this creation, and actually prefer it over my earlier attempt, which I thought was childish.
What do you think?
The next year, we sold the car, and with it went my "source" of material!
That was the time when the streets of Madras were all being dug up, and optic fibre cables were being laid. Wherever you looked you saw ditches with colourful plastic cables sticking out, causing my mother to exclaim that wouldn't those cables be a good material to work with for Ikebana!
That was the inspiration behind the 2007 composition, which I labelled Urbania. It reminded me of a city's night life, neon lights and cars with headlights.
I have also used thermocol as a "vase", over the years. There's so much of it that lies around, coming as packing material with anything that you buy!
And they have such interesting shapes and dramatic forms as well!
Here are some of the creations.
I have enjoyed creating these works, but I know that quite often it does not appeal to the purist.
For some reason though, I am drawn to the abstract designs that I see in these waste products, and enjoy the creative process of working with them!
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