This article you’re reading is a type of post that until now has not yet been published here on upcycleDZINE. Finally a review, and in this case a review that I wanted to write quite some time ago.
This review is about a book I came across in 2015 showing a fantastic upcycle design collection. So of course it should be on this blog.

Inspiring collection of waste turned into art

The book is called ‘Art Without Waste’ and features 500 upcycled and earth-friendly designs, curated and written by Patty K. Wongpakdee. She’s a New York based graphic artist and an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at New York Institute of Technology.

The book shows work from designers, illustrators and artists around the world. It’s a great source of ideas for those people who are into upcycling objects and materials. The layout is simple/clear and therefore enjoyable to read or brows through. The content is split into four chapters: Personal Items & Accessories, Home & Garden, Interior & Outdoor Spaces and Art & Design. Another part of the content is the ‘Contributor Directory’. It doesn’t seem important, but it shows the name of the contributor along with the website or email address. Very useful in case you want to know more about the designer or artist.
Just like upcycleDZINE, ‘Art Without Waste’ gives us a look into the interesting work of artists and designers around the world who have come to embrace the sustainability movement.

Patty K. Wongpakdee:

“For example, by taking an utterly disposable item and transforming it into something of higher quality, artists and designers change how people view their world and their place in it. However subtle the change may seem, the impact has the potential to be enormous as each advance serves as a building block for the next evolutionary change.”

The items shown in this book were designed using existing materials and objects transformed into unique pieces. These 500 pieces of design range from dresses made from T-shirts and cut-up jeans, fishing boats as sheds, jewelry made from measuring tape, furniture made from bike tires or wine corks to used books turned into a reception counter and for instance reclaimed packaging and junk mail turned into art. This book also shows how sustainable resources such as wood, straw, and paper, can be used in new ways for creating design.

Photos © upcycleDZINE

This inspiring collection of what the upcycle design movement has to offer, shows many different techniques used. Sometimes the upcycled item or material is recognizable and in other cases one has to be told which object is used. In both cases clarifying the way we consume and waste stuff and making us aware of the impact on our planet. And finally encouraging us to use our creativity to start reusing and upcycling.
This book was first published in the second half of 2014. Since then many more unique upcycle designs have been made. So maybe once every several years a book like this should be made. A version 2.0?

Written by Patty K. Wongpakdee | Published by Rockport Publishers