From Trashy to Classy

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• Vanessa Garcia
• Robert Rauschenberg
• Stewart Stewart
• Steve Forero-Paz
• Laura Cerwinske

Ever since Robert Rauschenberg elevated the craptastic into high art by yoking a stuffed Angora goat with a truck tire, artists have been creating subversive works using the rubble of modern consumer society. Enter Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, with a “cruddy” exhibit featuring a dumpster’s load of artwork created from recycled discards, converting the tropical oasis into a veritable trashstravaganza.

“Divine Debris & Glorious Trash,” opening this Monday night at 7, celebrates the reinvention of castoffs in media ranging from sculpture, assemblage, painting, jewelry, and photography, and reflects on how a little ingenuity can convert a hunk of plastic into a nifty piece of art. Organized by Arts at St. Johns and ArtShare, the funky affair will include works by Aimee Ortiz, Deborah O’Dwyer, Dina Knapp, Dinorah de Jesús Rodríguez, Eva Ruiz, Daniel Fila (Krave), Laura Cerwinske, Rianne, Steve Forero-Paz, Stewart Stewart, Thomas Banks, Uta, and Vanessa Garcia.

Curators Paula Turk and Carol Hoffman’s hope is that all of this junkyard talent they’ve scavenged will inspire others to become more energy- and waste-conscious. The event is free and runs through June 12.
June 8-12, 2009