Recycled Objects d'Art

Artist Brian Jewett turns these otherwise functional objects into works of art.

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Filed under: Art, Recycling, Crafts

Old rolls of carnival tickets, garden hoses, and nylon cable ties. These may not sound like artistic tools to you, but in the hands of artist Brian Jewett, these otherwise functional objects are transformed into works of art. In his "former" life, Jewett has been a machinist, drafter and tool maker — but he's always been intrigued by the idea of ordinary items taking on extraordinary forms.

His ticket bowls are colorful and whimsical with graceful lines. He takes old rolls of carnival tickets of contrasting color, unrolls them, mixes the colors and rolls them together again. He lays the rolls flat like a disk and adjusts the tension until they are very taut. Then using a pre-made bowl form, he pushes the disc over the form until it's the shape he desires. He seals the ticket bowl in polyurethane to finish it off.

Another example of his ingenuity and good sense of humor are his cactus baskets. This unmistakable icon of the Southwest comes to life with a garden hose. It is coiled tightly and secured, and then white nylon cable ties are strategically placed to create the needles. Despite the "hardness" of the materials, this basket looks surprisingly like a real plant. In addition to these creations, Jewett also makes other amazing baskets, bowls and wall hangings using — believe it or not — black irrigation tubing, vintage power line insulator, and colorful cable ties.

Jewett's art is at once simple, pure, colorful, retro, and modern. These objects d'art transcend their humble craft origins.