Making art from trash is nothing new. But how many artists make art exclusively from trash? In the Great Northwest (and elsewhere) there is a recycled art movement that encompasses sculpture, fabric art, art cars and bikes, fashion, architecture, and just about anything else you can think of.
As you may have gathered, these artists are environmentally aware. Plus, making stuff from available materials is fun. The doyennes of recycled art are Ross Palmer Beecher (who's "Truck Safety Quilt" is shown below) and Marita Mingus. Ruby Re-Usable is an artist Olympia, WA (originally from New Jersey, and proud of it). The popcorn dress and Wonder Bread baby are her creations. Her Olympia Dumpster Divers blog is a great resource for all things recycled, with links to artists, galleries, and organizations like ScrapHouse, Secondhand Saints, and Art for Housewives. You'll never look at garbage the same way again.
To paraphrase Harry Truman: If that's not art, then I'm a Hottentot.
