Recycled, Re-seen: Folk Art from the Global Scrap Heap

An exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe is the point of departure for an exploration of the creativity and resourcefulness of folk recyclers around the world who--though they hail from diverse cultures--share a vision of the potential for beauty and utility in junk. Arbie Williams, a quilter in California, has plied her craft from necessity when she was a child (a cast-off pair of pants inspired her first "britches" quilt, which gained her a museum audience). Trinidad and Tobago have an unexpected by-product of the oil industry--music, which is played on steel instruments fashioned from cast-off oil drums. In Senegal, Assane Faye and his apprentices salvage aluminum to produce items that can be useful (rice steamers) or frivolous (souvenir toys), but always profitable. In Ecuador, found objects are assembled to form fantastic headdresses, which are the signature of the annual Corpus Christi parade. Back stateside, an American pop artist and his Mexican counterpart produce items of "Catholic kitsch" from tin used for juice cans. Accompanied by an elaborate inter-disciplinary curriculum guide and 20 color reproductions of recycled art, this video--which easily stands alone--is the centerpiece of a multi-media educational tool. Anyone interested in the artistic process will find pleasure and value in this colorful world tour of the artistic spirit in action. Highly recommended. Aud: I, J, H, P. (J. Reed)