What is it we purchase, and why? Where does it go when it’s discarded? Can it be repurposed? Passed on? Did we need it in the first place?

These are tough questions, and yet, to not ask them is to ignore an ever increasing pile of waste. SCRAP (the Santa Cruz Recycled Art Program) challenges artists to find every day or uncommon materials at the dump and create art. Each artist comes into the program with varying styles, abilities, and imaginations that shows in each of their pieces. Come see what these four amazing artists have put together this Friday, August 4 at Radius Gallery!

Here's a short preview:

Rachel Maryam Smith, a master bead worker, is “beading” together screws, tires and batteries that were found at the dump. She plans on hanging her artwork in the gallery from floor to ceiling. She was thrilled to find an abundance of tiny silver batteries that could be woven throughout her different pieces.

Lisa Hochstein started her pieces with the idea of repair that she claims slowly changed to construction. Most of her work consists of stand-alone pieces of various materials found throughout the dump, such as concrete and wood. She said her visit to the dump both appalled and moved her. Her pieces are consistently vertically stacked, free standing, and placed near one another in a uniform fashion, rather than hanging on the wall.

Su Evers has focused mainly on photography in past projects but has switched specifically for SCRAP into a more innovative and vintage feeling style of artwork. She is focused on hanging pieces, such as distressed wood pieces with music notes imprinted. She would like to create an installation piece of 40 individual hanging pieces from the dump that will be hanging in a crested wave. Su is incorporating the texture of her photography into the pieces.

Alexander Khah likes to work BIG and his large metal horse head, reaching up to 6 feet, is no exception. Additionally, he has finished welding metal mushrooms made of nuts, bolts and screws all found at the dump. Come see his bold and larger than life pieces!

These artists amaze with their ability to turn Santa Cruz counties huge pile of dump into thought provoking beautiful artwork.

Join us this Friday, August 4 for the opening reception of the 2017 SCRAP show - featuring four local artists who have made art from trash! Radius Gallery is on the Tannery Campus - 1050 River Street, Studio #127 in Santa Cruz, CA.