World Environment Day exhibition turns waste into wonder
Published on 21 May 2018
This World Environment Day, an exhibition at COPACC will encourage our community to look at waste through the eyes of an artist.
Yuulong artist Brian Worsley has reimagined and recycled a range of materials into beautiful, fun and interactive objects as part of his exhibition Merry-go-Round.
Merry-go-Round aims to inspire children, teachers and parents to see new possibilities in objects they might have otherwise thrown away.
The exhibition features fantasy buildings, caves, gardens, three-dimensional paintings and much more, all made from recycled cardboard, papier- mâché, offcuts of timber and all sorts of other wonderful discarded bits and pieces.
Mr Worsley said that allowing children to get creative with simple materials could provide them more satisfying play opportunities than purchasing a pre-made toy, or playing games on electronic devices.
“I’m encouraging children to imagine an object, be it a building, a person, a bridge, a tree, or flowers; then work out how to build it by gathering suitable recycled materials.
“The fun part comes with the decoration which could be conventional or as fantastical as you like - because it’s you own invention!”
Mr Worsley has had a passion for painting and creating since he was a child in England. One of his early inspirations was the host of a television show called The Picture Book Lady.
“The Picture Book Lady would cut out bits of paper and make things. I was fascinated as a six-year-old and now at 66 years of age I’m still cutting things out of paper.
“When I came to Australia at seven years of age and went to Williamstown State School, I would spend a lot of time in the art room. One year the art teacher got a group of us kids to build a Moomba float out of timber, chicken wire and papier-mâché. I’m still doing papier- mâché works today.”
Mr Worsley encouraged people to approach his exhibition with inquiring minds.
“If we can encourage parents to look for, and children to ask for, playthings that can be reused and recycled, then that would be a wonderful thing for the environment and a wonderful outcome of my exhibition.”
Acting COPACC Manager Tamzin McLennan said hundreds of hours and thought had gone into the colourful exhibition that would bring joy to the young, and young at heart.
Merry-go-Round will be on display in the COPACC foyer from 26 May to 24 June. Entry is free and Mr Worsley can make himself available to answer questions from school groups if prior arrangements are made.