Summer Covell

Artist's Statement

Sustainability can be an overwhelming task when first encountered. I’ve found reuse the most accessible and realistic venue to sustainability in my art and my life. My last series of work titled “Repurposed” utilizes reused items and addresses the environmental and theoretical issues involved with this tactic. A garden hose from a thrift store becomes an LED task light that can be moved nearly fifty feet without unplugging. A five-gallon bucket becomes a rocking chair and metal stovetop burners become a coat rack. Scrap metal is welded together to create a structure to form a ceiling mounted bike hook with an umbrella handle and a structure below to hold an upside-down umbrella, open to catch any water that might drip from a bike after a ride in the snow or rain. This last object not only utilizes reused items, but it also encourages bicycling, a sustainable form of transportation. While sustainability can seem overwhelming, these objects provide simple solutions to a sustainable lifestyle. The unifying theme of reuse can be adopted by any individual as a simple step towards green living.