Artist Statement for Recycled Community Project
by Glenn Martin
When I was a child I was a very disruptive individual. I had bags of energy but with no focus, this got me into trouble at school and with my parents. My father would bring home old pieces of machinery for me to dismantle, to keep me amused. This would work from time to time, but I still got into trouble for taking other things apart and making them into something else.
One day a teacher decided to give me a push in the direction of art, which kept me very amused. Any school project that involved drawing, painting and making things had my full attention. My parents were very happy about this.
At the time my mother worked at Elstree Studios when they were making the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films. Occasionally she would take me to work with her; I was allowed to visit various sets and workshops meeting many film stars, artists and craftsmen. This had a profound effect on me and set the seed for my own creativity.
After leaving school I went to Art College and then on to university where I gained a BA HONS Degree in 3 dimensional design.
I have been involved in various jobs requiring different creative disciplines, from making mushrooms and sculptures from recycled materials to jewellery, club decor and making one off pieces for people. Also I have had stalls selling my work at local events on the Island.
I am a great appreciator of the natural world. My hobbies are fossil hunting and beach combing where I collect materials for various projects.
It upsets me to see what a throwaway society we have and how it spoils the natural world. As time goes on we are beginning to realise the consequences of our actions. The wheels are in motion but they are not turning fast enough.
As a society we need to learn to implement a different way of life and a new way of thinking. We need to realise that everything we buy comes from somewhere, using natural resources. When we throw it away most of it goes into landfill thus avoiding the issue.
Our world is precious, its natural resources are not inexhaustible. Western society has become very consumer driven in my opinion. It is easy to just throw something away and never give it a second thought. As resources dwindle the issue of recycling will become more and more important to our world and will affect everyone. It is my hope that with the help of others I can help address this issue with the skills that I have.