Found Art Project

My theme is conservation of energy and protection of the environment. The environmental movement really started in the 70's and has continued to exist since then. Through the found art project my group and I wanted to show some of the key events and facets of the environmental movement. We also wanted to show that with just a little effort, much can be accomplished to help protect the environment.
There are several items on our box, but to name a few there is a solar panel, recyclables, organic food boxes, a bird covered in oil, and a windmill. The solar panel and the windmill represent renewable energy sources that are crucial in saving the environment. The recyclables show represent literally the idea of recycling. The organic food boxes are present to show that organic food are better for the environment because they are not exposed to pesticides that disrupt the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles. The oil covered bird represents the Exxon Valdez incident with the huge oil spill that affects hundreds of birds.
The main way the we got our items was simply by coming upon them. I found the brochure while I was in Seattle, and the organic food boxes were just lying around. We did construct the solar panel and the windmill but they are made of household items.
If I were to do this project again, I would start earlier and always be on the lookout for relevant items. The more time you give yourself to find items, the more items you will get and the better the items will be. My group started early enough, but you could always start earlier. For this reason, my advice to next year's class is to start early.

Michael Starr