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Thrift was an essential part of good housewifery in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and quilts have come to symbolize that thrift. But even when "making do" is not a necessity, it remains a challenge and an artistic adventure. Sometimes quilters play with the idea of incorporating industrially produced items into the design. The use of cornmeal or tobacco sacks, bank coin bags, men's overalls, and blue jean bockets all speak to the quilters' ability to challence necessity with wit and ingenuity. |
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Junk carries with it the suggestion of other lives and the memories associated with its prior use, whether real or imagined. Many of the things shown here were made as gifts and as whimsies intended to decorate the home. The serve as "conversation pieces" and as affectionate reminders of the gift-giver. Now they evoke a certain nostalgia for by-gone days and pre-industrial ways, though the materials employed are all factory-made. |
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Some recyclers take a particularly bold approach to their work -- creating large-scale sculptures or even whole environments in their yards. These artists mainly scavenge their raw materials from dumps and roadsides, finding beauty and rich possibilities in the cast-offs of our consumer culture. Some work within clearly defined community traditions and others do not. All of them cleverly use recycled junk to create compelling works of art that validate their individuality or community. |
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It
all started as a dare: could his fishing buddies drink enough beer to make
a pop-top chain long enough to stretch to the carport? They did, the chain
grew into a whole environment, and Ray Cyrek (1930-1995) found his passion.
Ray, a crusty retiree who lived in Homosassas Springs, Florida, once owned a junkyard. He also collected aluminum cans to recycle as supplement to his retirement income, and pop-tops were a by-product. Until 1995, Ray lived in a double-wide mobile home among the glittering pop-top sculptures you see here. Densely woven pop-top images drawn from American popular culture -- Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Frosty the Snowman -- shared the stage with a giant star, a castle, a clown hat, a pelican, butterflies and Ray's name, among other things. Gleaming in the sun, the four million pop-tops were dazzling. Lit at Christmas with sixteen thousand hand-colored lights, Ray's place was magic. Thanks to Ray's generosity, we're delighted to be able to share a piece of his magic with you.  |
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