Ingenious Beauty from Trash

Nemo Gould is a fascinating artist in San Francisco whose remarkable sculptures are mostly crafted from found materials. He’s the “Rodin of Rubbish” having spent the summer of ’07 as Artist-in-Residence at the San Francisco dump.

His work is the most tangible form of green messaging I’ve found.

I stumbled across Nemo at the Maker Fair in San Mateo, CA, and was immediately taken by his incredible sculptures.  I felt like a little kid, because his stuff is way too cool.

The Octovarius, for instance, is made from an old steam trunk, violin, chair parts, tobacco pipes, taxidermy eyes, steak serving platters, motor, semi truck exhaust guard, and cold cathode light tubes.  Most of his sculptures are kinetic, and in Octovarious, the tentacles move independently.

What impressed me the most about Nemo’s work is in the powerful way it demonstrates a conservation and recycling message; the ultimate hands-on environmental marketing experience…at least in the art world.  If I was Waste Management, I’d commission Nemo to create every piece of art in my corporate office, and then send him on a North American tour. (No, I don’t represent Mr. Gould, and they might want to check with him first.)

Quite simply, Nemo proves their is surprising beauty and innovative use in the things we discard. Here’s a look at a few more of his creations that he’s brought to life…or brought back to life.