The art in “Recycled: Trash and Treasure: Rediscovered” juried exhibition at the Menino Arts Center in the Hyde Park section of Boston approaches the reuse of disposable materials from an aesthetic — and occasionally political — point of view. The concept of art made from trash is not a new one. But since our society continues to produce waste on a prodigious scale, it is an idea that warrants continual revisiting. In the words of the jurors: “Trash becomes treasure, not because it is inherently valuable, but because it is seen anew.”
The exhibit features a large roster of 67 works by 43 artists that fills the Menino Center’s second-floor corridors as well as its spacious gallery. The show’s jurors, Suzanne Moseley and Adrienne Shishko, an artist duo who collaborate on fiber art as well as organizing exhibits, shared their insights about structuring the show and choosing its individual work. They commented on their selection process, emphasizing that the composition of each piece was a key attribute in their selection. They also looked for work that pushes materials to another level — in this case, work employing reusedmaterials which are not necessarily recognizable in the finished piece. There was not a strict criterion for what reuse means in this context. “Reused,” in the curators’ minds, did not necessarily mean reusing trash; but reuse of traditional methods, even tropes of artmaking itself, could play a part.
Moseley and Shishko’s own contributions to the show include “Feathered,” a piece they recently collaborated on during an artist residency in France. The pair decided to use discarded work left behind by other artists, and the result is a combination of painting and a patchwork of overlapping bits of canvas and fabric, coated with beeswax, which lends translucency to the mosaic-like elements.
Maritza Ranero adds to the reuse conversation and expands notions of recycling with her digital collages, including “Ay Dios Mío.” Ranero photographs assemblages of objects — in this case, a chunky tower of discarded cement blocks. Using Photoshop, Ranero designs a background for her photograph designed with the title text. She combines the layers of photos and text to create intriguing images that live very much in the picture plane and convey subtle messages about societal forces.