The Landscape of Recology

Traveling is always edifying and often begins at the airport. On our way from San Francisco to New York to attend our beautiful daughter Zoe's graduation from Sarah Lawrence last week, we pulled our roller bags through SFO Museum’s Terminal Three gallery, stopping every few steps to smile, ponder and be delighted by the whimsical and thought-provoking pieces created by The Art Of Recology’s Artists in Residence program at San Francisco’s Recology Center between 1990 and 2013.

It all began with artist and activist Jo Hanson (1918--2007) when she moved to the Haight Ashbury in 2007. Her artist's statement says it all:

“All of my work takes shape with love and care and takes issue with waste and disregard. I feel the work as a metaphor for transformation and transcendence. It insists that we change our ways and our thinking and become guardians of the resources of the earth which supports our life and is more fragile and endangered than we used to believe possible.”

You can read more about Jo and the program at: SFO Museum The Art of Recology

Here is a small sampling of some of my favorite pieces from the show:

 Remi Rubel

Nemo Gould

 

Daphne Ruff, Sarah Barness and Hector Dionicio Mendoza

                                                                   Linda Raynsford

Looking at Gaza Bowen's books made of recycled, corroded metal, I couldn’t help but think about the idea that there are no new stories, just endless variations on the old ones and how even Shakespeare took the words of writers and dramatists before him to use in his own plays. We all borrow and steal our ideas from the wealth of material that has come before us. Perhaps we too are recyclers? If so, we’re certainly in good company.

Take Good Care,

Sharry