We’ve all heard that “one man’s trash is another mans treasure”. That saying takes on new meaning when we view the world through the eyes of the artists featured in todays post. These talented individuals see possibility in the things we throw away every day. Instead of heading to the art supply store they just collect common trash and turn it into works of amazing art. Take a look at these 40 terrific works of art made from common trash and be prepared to start looking at your garbage in a whole new way.



Artworks Made From Trash

Ann P. Smith

This awesome owl and bird sculpture was made from reclaimed electronic trash. It reminds me of the mechanical owl in The Clash of the Titans.



This ram looks like anything but trash. Each piece fits perfectly.



These delicate birds and other sculptures by Ann can be bought at her store online.



Belen Hermosa

Got a few thousand CDs lying around? Have a seat.



Lamponi

Lamponi make some really cool lamps from trash. This one was an old steam iron.



An old ice scoop makes a good lampshade.



This old school hair dryer lamp and others are actually available to purchase. Check out the site for more far out creations.



Alex Andromeda

This three-legged beast is made from electronic garbage.



Computer circuit boards make up this work of art that almost looks like a burning man effigy.



It’s hard to believe that this intricate motorcycle was made from random bits of trash. Amazing!



Austinevan

This huge dragon was created using aluminium cans.



Law Kevin

What a stunning sculpture. Notice the computer mouse teeth and the washing machine door eyes.



Sayaka Kajita

Sayaka uses reclaimed plastic material to build her wonderful sculptures. Look closely at these two and you can see plastic spoons.



Another great creation made from common plastic trash.



This dog sculpture has a great pose. How many plastic spoons do you see?



Paul Villinski

This awesome piece was made from old soda cans and a hiking backpack frame. Great concept.



This whimsical butterfly spiral was also made from old soda cans.



David Mach

This huge Gorilla was made from old coat hangers.



Another coat hanger sculpture from David. The protruding hangers make the sculpture almost look kind of blurry. Nice effect.



Robert Bradford

Robert Bradford uses discarded toys to bring his ideas to life. How many of these toys did you play with as a kid?



These sculptures have a nostalgic quality to them that takes you back to more innocent days.



Jeremy Mayer

The artist obviously has a great understanding of the human form. Notice the old typewriter pieces on the lower abdomen.



Actually, both of these pieces from Jeremy were made from old typewriters. Notice the cat’s eyes. Check out his site for more of his awesome work.



iri5

iri5 uses old cassette tapes to create the likenesses of celebrities. This one’s Kurt Cobain.



Michael Jackson released from the tape. I love the super clean lines and the curly hair.



185Queens

This polar bear is made out of used grocery store bags. Is plastic OK?



Brian Jungen

This skull was crafted from old baseball coverings.



That’s the fossil remains of some ancient dinosaur, it’s plastic chairs.



This walk-though sculpture was created from old plastic storage bins. Notice hoe the negative space is in the shape of a person.



Strife

Scrap metal was used to construct this sea horse looking sculpture.



Moonlightbulb

This fantastic mosquito was once just ordinary trash. Now it’s a beautifull work of art.



Christian Fuar

Christian uses crayons as pixels to produce captivating images.



This stunning image almost looks like an old (blurry) photo.



En Pieza

Got some old ball point pens lying around? Make a cool lamp out of them.



Brian Marshall

Brian Marshall creates wonderful bots that are full of personality from discarded materials.



This little guy is ready for battle with his pencil sharpener shield.



I just love this one. Check out the old camera and oil can.



Bernard Pras

Bernard Pras takes trash art to a whole other level. Absolutely stunning rendition of Bruce Lee.



This geisha looks fantastic! Notice the little face to the left of her eye.



Albert Einstein never looked so cool. I love the colors and shapes in this masterpiece.

Further Resources