Selby College’s Art & Design students exhibited an array of sustainable fashion and art as part of Up For Yorkshire and Our Zero Selby’s Sustainable Fashion Show at Selby Abbey – an event which brought the community together to celebrate sustainable fashion and the charity shops on Selby’s highstreets.
At the start of term, Level 3 Art & Design students were tasked with creating art using second-hand materials and objects from local charity shops, which would later be exhibited at Selby Abbey. The artwork on show ranged from upcycled fashion to sculptures, 3D outcomes and documentary photography.
Ebony Laurie, Level 3 Art & Design student, said: “My piece, titled ‘Echoes of a Plastic Tide’, forms an egret bird out of discarded plastic cutlery, and was inspired by Chie Hitotsuyama, who creates life-size animal sculptures out of recycled materials such as newspaper. It reflects the struggle of birds and water against our tide of pollution, reminding us of what is lost when beauty drowns in waste. I love studying Art & Design at Selby College because it’s a very friendly and open environment and I enjoy working with both my tutors and peers as we all encourage and inspire each other as artists.
‘Echoes of a Plastic Tide’ artwork by Ebony Laurie, Level 3 Art & Design student from Selby College.
Robyn Sunman, Level 3 Art & Design student, wrote about their work: “Landfill, global warming and other issues are decaying and destroying our ecosystem, both above and below ground. This garment aims to show the need for rewilding and restoring our planet to stop the death of the world’s habitats. It has been created using recycled and sustainable materials to avoid unnecessary waste.”
‘Sunflowers’ artwork by Robyn Sunman, Level 3 Art & Design student from Selby College.
Alyx Sterling, Level 3 Art & Design student, described their work as: “Crafted from recycled materials and discarded fabrics, the badger and turtle sculpture depicts the risks of waste pollution to nature and the environment. The badger represents nature found in woodlands and open country, whereas the turtle portrays that waste pollution does not just affect the animals close to us, but affects nature globally.”
‘Sculpting Sustainability’ artwork by Alyx Sterling, Level 3 Art & Design student from Selby College.
Blake Ellis-Reeves, Level 3 Art & Design student, said: “’The Contemplating Saint’ embodies a collective form of waste, a figure shaped from discarded plastic bags and bound by heat and glue. It slumps in quiet reflection, caught between thought and emptiness. Neither disappointed nor enlightened, the Saint contemplates as a hive mind, a being of many fragments, united by what was once discarded.”
‘The Contemplating Saint’ artwork by Blake Ellis-Reeves, Level 3 Art & Design student from Selby College.
Adele Simpson, Level 3 Art & Design student, states: “My work is created from hair extensions, discarded fabrics and watercolour-painted cloth. The piece connects the erasure of human identity with the neglect of what is no longer valued. By transforming waste into something mournful yet alive, the work asks how memory might survive through what has been discarded - how the forgotten continues to whisper through what remains.”
‘Patient No.’ by Adele Simpson Level 3 Art & Design student from Selby College.
Creating sustainable artwork has been embedded into the students’ studio practice and this isn’t the first time that the department has exhibited their projects in the local community. Earlier this year, higher education students from the College launched a month-long sustainability-themed exhibition at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet York where a new piece of artwork was installed each week throughout March, displayed to the thousands of visitors the shopping centre attracts.
Elaine Whitehead, Curriculum Development Manager for Art & Design at Selby College, said: “Being a part of this local and sustainable initiative is important to us, as we are always trying to incorporate sustainability into our practice at Selby College. Second-hand shops around Selby have already kindly donated items to our students which they have been using in their various projects – both reducing waste and stimulating our students’ creativity. The show is a great opportunity to showcase this whilst building their confidence as artists.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about the Art & Design department at Selby College, you can visit its website here.