Showing posts with label recycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recycling. Show all posts

Music Recycled into Art

Erika Iris Simmons is an American artist who transforms used cassette tapes into artworks. The creative process of recycling second hand objects into art is often referred to as up-cycling, an artistic style that is becoming popular with artists around the world.

Turning Cassette Tapes into Art

Using the ribbon from a cassette tape, Simmons creates distinctive portraits of musicians and singers. The ribbon can be cut, bent, glued and even ruffled to create different parts of the face. Working on a white background allows the artist to create areas of stark contrast, highlighting the features of the subject.

Above: A cassette tape fan art portrait of Bob Dylan. The artist has used a variety of techniques to create contrast between the organic facial details and the solid, geometric area of the suit.

Above: A photograph of singer and musician, Bob Marley, is immortalized in this musical art style. The creative use of the tape ribbon near the cassette is a signature style of this artist.

Above: Debbie Harry from Blondie. The use of four cassette tapes in this artwork creates a frame for the singer's face.


Musicians Immortalized in Music and Art
Simmons chooses famous musicians with highly recognizable faces. The visual impact of the art style compliments the strength of these characters, immortalizing their personalities with the very music that they created.

Above: Jimi Hendrix, legendary guitar player and singer. The artist has ruffled the cassette tape ribbon to create the musician's afro hair style.

Above: John Lennon, of the Beatles. The placement of the portrait and the cassette tape makes it seem as though Lennon is emerging from the cassette, much like a genie would emerge from a magic lamp.

Above: Michael Jackson's face is recognizable even when it is portrayed with only a few lines and shapes.



Artistic Recycling: Amazing Furniture Made From Old Bicycles

Stylish and unique furniture made from bicycle wheel rims, handle bars, and frames.


Where do bicycles go when they die? Andy Gregg transforms these unwanted vehicles into contemporary furniture. Using the stainless steel and aluminum frames, wheel rims and handlebars from old bikes, Gregg creates chairs, tables and barstools.


This lounge chair is made from old bike parts, using inner tubes to creates springy rubber upholstery.

Gregg has been creating recycled bicycle furniture since 1990, refining his designs and adding more pieces to his inventory. Each piece has a slick, clean look; a positive image that one would not expect from old bike parts.
His creations also include recycled items from other locomotives. Windows from trains and cars become glass table tops and seat belt webbing is used for upholstery.


Windows from old cars are reused as glass table tops for coffee tables and bar tables made out of old bicycle wheels. You can just see the spokes of the bicycle wheel through the glass top of this table; an interesting talking point for anyone who's seeing the furniture for the first time.

Many of these designs can weather a life outdoors as practical and attractive garden furniture. Certainly a topic for conversation, the furniture offers both aesthetic value and functionality.



The Loveseat is a chair made for two people to sit side by side; a perfect relationship gift for bike-loving couples. To make the arms of the couch, the artist has bent bicycle wheel rims to create a more comfortable shape.

Gregg offers custom-made options, so a buyer may choose the type and color of upholstery; material variations include rubber inner tubes, leather, clear or colored acrylic, cork and vinyl. Customizable furniture allows the buyer to choose the material of the armrests and the color of the seating. Recycling takes many forms and exciting artworks made from old, unwanted items is becoming more popular. Andy Gregg’s designs are certainly a unique and functional use of old bicycles.

Located in Marquette, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Superior, Bike Furniture Design Headquarters continues to create new and interesting recycled furniture. For more info and designs, or to buy recycled furniture online, visit Bike Furniture Design.

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