Recycled Art - Junk Art

With so much waste in the world today, it's no wonder that some of us are thinking about recycling, particularly hard to come by resources such as solid metal.  It can last for so long, it just needs to be reconditioned into something that we can truly appreciate for either its use or beauty.

Imagine how much quality metal is thrown to the rubbish tip each day that will not break down in the soil quickly and that costs a small fortune to replace, such as fence posts, that could be recycled.

In and around Mudgee we have a number of artists that just love to get their hands on some old junk and re-use it as furniture, lamps, garden sculptures, tools, fences or gates and sometimes melt it down and re-cast it.

Over the next few months, we'd like to introduce some of our local artists and their handiwork - enjoy!
                                                         Updated January 2013

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*** STOP PRESS *** Entries NOW OPEN for Mudgee Recycled Art Comp 2013 ***

Taken the Bait - fish made from horseshoes approx 1.5m high and 2.2m long

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Dancing Brolgas

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Spring Flowers - all year round beauty in the garden

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Inner Flame - welded metal wheels and scrap metal

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Recycled Metal Birdfeeder

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Functional and decorative

Sculptures for the home & garden

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ENLARGE IMAGES

 Richard Nagel

I have been creating bespoke furniture for over 18 years.  This creativity has recently led me to the world of rustic garden sculptures using recycled metal pieces.  These pieces are from many different sources including vintage farm machinery, motor vehicles and found objects.  When it comes to an item that is no longer used for its original purpose, rather than seeing it as out of date and useless I see it as inspiration to create a piece of art.

The basis of my sculptures comes from the fact I let the natural shape of a single object dictate my whole project.  I then build around this with an array of other recycled items to marry in and create a piece of art. Recycled trailer springs become spring flowers, horse shoes become scales of a fish and corrugated iron becomes a bike riding kangaroo.

The fish was inspired by the last floods which affected the Mudgee area – I had a few springs lying around which I used to make an outline of a fish, I then thought horseshoes would make great scales, and along with a pile of discarded plumbers’ materials it all came together. The hook and line were added to tell a bit of a story – not being much of a fisherman I enjoy the fact that the fish took the bait and got away!

Creating these different sculptures allows me to have a bit of fun and escape from the real world! I have never taken myself too seriously so creating these pieces really suits my character. I find it a great way to express myself as well as being an energy outlet.

The Roocycle came together when I was given a magnificent large wheel from a vintage combine which I then transformed into a penny farthing after finding further suitable shaped pieces.  What to put in the saddle was the next step and being surrounded by unique wildlife in Australia I thought an animal would suit it.  Wombats and echidnas don’t have legs long enough, so a Roo it was to be!

I thoroughly enjoy the challenge in creating my sculptures, and hope that they are seen as a bit of fun and bring a smile to people’s faces as they enhance any garden or parkland.

Contact Richard on 02-6373 6555 for sales & enquiries  (Int + 61)

Hand Made Wooden Furniture also available

The watchful eye

Roocycle - Vintage combine wheel

Max's Guardian

Lucy's Guardian

Bird Bath - Recycled Metal Garden Art Sculpture - Australian Artist Maurice Berry

Spider's Web - Recycled Metal Garden Art Sculpture

Maurice Berry

Maurie Berry's creations are inspired by rescuing the treasures of the past to produce a work that is both provocative and functional.

Maurie's ScrubArt is influenced by the virtue of recycling sprap metal and the Australian bush

Pieces of Maurie's work can be found on display at Fairview Artspace or contact Maurie direct on 0428 6373 3621

Bird Feeder - Recycled Plough Discs

Rooster - Springs, Wheels,Rods - Recycled Metal

Bird Feeder -- Scrap Metal Garden Art Sculpture

Flamingo - Waste to Art Sculpture

The Nut Bowl - Recycled Metal

Nuts & Bolts Bowl - Functional Recycled Pieces for the Home

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Bird Feeder - Garden Sculpture

Wheels & Chains - Garden Art Sculpture

Bird Feeder Garden Sculpture

Bird in Detail

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Bird Feeder or Bath - Garden Statues

Feet in Detail

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Garden Sculpture

Bird Head in Detail

Springs, coils sculpture

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 For more info see
Peter Brooks' Blog

Peter Brooks  

Peter started life as a mechanical engineer, worked for some years at the ABC with the likes of Billy Hunter and James Sherman, and then turned his hand to ceramic arts under the patronage of Franco Belgiorno-Nettis (patron of NSW Art Gallery).

These days he is very environmentally aware as well as artistically creative and likes to recycle scrap waste into extremely useful and attractive pieces of art.

Peter has won many prizes for his waste-to-art creations, often in the form of sculptures made entirely from knives, forks and spoons - as is evident in this magnificent four foot horse statue (left)

His creations are extremely imaginative and practical, like his multi-plated bbq made from steel washing machine drums (perfect for ventilation), plough disks and swivelling shovel heads (that allow perfect temperature control).

Peter's front gate is made entirely from recycled metals including horse shoes and spoons and some years back made it into The Womens Weekly magazine.

Another of his gates, is made almost entirely from old metal wheels from horse-drawn buggies, sulkies and farm machinery parts.

Over the years Peter's work has featured  in The Womens Weekly, POL Magazine, Home Made Homes publication, many galleries, churches and chambers.

Peter's work is not available for sale.

Spoons, knives and yes, the kitchen sink recycled into a metal sculpture

Horse Sculpture - Reycled farm machinery parts

Cogs, chains and old machinery parts make up this brilliant recycled art piece - waste to art

Recycled horse shoes, spoons and knives make up this very comfortable and colourful chair

The horse shoe chairs are extremely comfortable and would last outdoors for years

Ned Kelly & horse - Recycled Waste Metal turned into garden sculptures and statues

Gate made from buggy and sulky wheels, machinery pulleys and horse shoes - useful junk art

Bee Happy - Recycled Waste Metal Sculpture

Peter and his stainless steel washing machine drum barbeque, swivel shovel and plough disk plates

The King's Throne, mainly made from butter knives

Knife detailing on the Throne

Peter Brooks and recycled waste metal candelabra

Closeup detail of candelabra

Candelabra as it stands in Bathurst Catholic Church Diocese

Painting of Peter Brooks by Paul Sloane

The Old Rooster - Reycled Metal Sculpture

Mosaic tiled mirror fridge

Floral Metalwork

Steel Magnolias from Spoons

Ned Kelly - Recycled Metal Garden Sculpture

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A magnificent Magnolia flower - spoons and horse shoe nails welded together

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