Recycled (he)Art

I've always had an appreciation for artists who can create beautiful things, especially when they can take seemingly ordinary or useless things and transform them into a creative piece that most people would never think of doing. Today I stumbled upon the creative work of Nick Gentry who uses recycled floppy disks, cassettes, VHS tapes and Polaroids to create his art.

Here is an excerpt on the concept of his work:
"As media is rapidly absorbed into the World Wide Web, the physical media formats of the past have been deemed obsolete. This represents a big shift away from real world objects, driving towards a human existence that is ultimately governed by countless intangible data files."

Given that electronic items are usually deemed cold and incapable of sentiment, Gentry is able to evoke wonderment by telling a story through the creation of a life using paint and inanimate objects. Each of his characters manifest an eerie persona that leaves the viewer wishing to know more. There is gracefulness, yet intensity to Gentry's work. Some of the poses--from the positioning of arms, to the elongated curve of a neck, to a set jaw line--Gentry seems well-attuned to the elegance of a body.

For me, investing in a piece of art work is like choosing a pet; it's a fixture that's going to be around for a while. Some pieces are meant to blend into the decor of the room, becoming a simple decoration, while others demand attention, daring every passerby to steal a glance. Gentry's work is the kind of curious art that I would hang from a pure white wall, letting it and only it speak for the entire room.