Creating art from recycled everyday items is not a new idea; in fact it started with Marcel Duchamp’s famous urinal turned into art, titled ‘Fountain’. Following many modern artists experimenting with new materials, art from everyday items was made popular by Andy Warhol’s iconic Campbell Soup in the 1960s. However, with environmental issues high on the agenda it has become more popular than ever for artists to use discarded items to create their works, known as ‘upcycling’.
Tokyo-born artist Yuri Suzuki is heavily influenced by this recycling movement and has integrated this interest with his passions for music and technology. Suzuki’s recycled projects have included a scalextric-inspired record player, which used small sections of old vinyl records made into a track, along which an instrument was run to create and magnify the sound. He also made a musical kettle that whistles the tune of your choice, as an exploration of normal household noises.
Suzuki’s latest project encompasses this spirit of recycling for art, but is also influenced by the DIY culture of Jamaica. Working with designer Matthew Kneebone, he used thousands of Red Stripe beer cans collected, in part, at Notting Hill Carnival, to make an enormous working sound system. The two and half metre projection, which used over five thousand of the red-and-white-striped cans, was made by taping and tying cans together in sections and arranging them in a specific layout around a simple wooden frame.
Suzuki was inspired by the Jamaican culture and music that are synonymous with the Notting Hill Carnival. Musicians Gappy Ranks and Al Fingers helped launch the project by creating some original Reggae music through the sound system.
“We are trying to create an unforgettable world theatre by utilizing the theatre to confront and challenge crucial issues which affect our society with the ultimate aim of educating and entertaining audiences.”so informs Jude Patrick Oteh Artistic Director and founder of the Jos Repertory Theatre(JRT)founded in 1997 the same year as the British Nigerian Theatre outfit,Tiata Fahodzi founded by Femi Elufowoju same age group as Oteh
Jude Patrick Oteh,born in the early 60s was something of a “Nuisance” on the basketBall court at Loyola College Ibadan,Nigeria.Then during Fesatc 77, perhaps had his mind on making the School Basketball team but he ended up being the School infirmarian and President of the Schools Drama society.He was from the very beginning a conscientiuos student and perhaps selfish with his study time.up to his final year,Jude Oteh always had something to add to the discussion in the Literatture class where he read Shakespears Macbeth,Kaundas Zambia shall be free and Eliots, Silas Marner.
In form one Jude Oteh had as his house work the sweeping of the infirmry.,Sweeping from the side of the infirmry to the back of the main building of the School was Paul Okolo.Paul okolo,to become a class jester ,swept in an artistic manner.you could see the marks of curves as he made with his broom on the ground and the Seniors pointed to it as an example of what had been done with the Broom. Paul okolo is the Kid brother to Felix Okolo who perform Continue reading »