Recycling Study no. 1
Wall mounted sculpures, sculpture, 1 channel video performance. 2021.
Various dimensions. Reclaimed gaming laptop, steel, acrylic, plastic.
Recycling Study no. 1, is a collection of in-situ works created in response to the question ”How much energy does it take to recycle?” This timely question is intentionally misinterpreted: rather than measure the efficiency of recycling in terms of its own carbon footprint, I choose to naively interpret the question through the lens of individual action, time, and effort.
All works stem from a single gaming laptop, discarded at a local eco-centre. The laptop is dismantled with extreme care, with each component and screw separated and catalogued throughout a 96 minute video performance. The components are then subject to a series of improvisations, resulting in a collection of small sculptures and wall works. Similar to a survivalist hunter's approach, every component of the laptop is to be respected and used for one purpose or another, with any leftovers catalogued and preserved for future use.
If an artist's time and work can be viewed as a ”waste of time”, then - from that same utilitarian point of view - it seems there is no better way for a time-waster to waste their time then by recycling. If, on the other hand, the artist is the alchemist within capitalism, turning garbage into economic commodities, a positive action is backstrapped to an otherwise inevitable transformation.
Created in residency at ArtOmi 2021.
How To Completely Disassemble A Laptop Meticulously Part By Part. Video performance, 96 minutes.
Untitled (Key patterns). Wall-mounted sculpture. 25" x 30" x 1". Discared laptop keyboards mounts, reflective pane, plastic, steel, aluminum, acrylic.
photos by Jillian Youngbird