Abandoned materials find new life in Mark Oliver‘s charming sculptures. The UK-based artist upcycles everything from scrap metal to playing cards, carefully assembling different parts together until he creates amazing figurines that resemble fantastical insects.
This ongoing series, titled Litter Bugs, features collage sculptures of various shapes and sizes. Oliver credits his father’s collection of electrical and engineering components for inspiring his interest in layering different elements together. “Urban entomology is my post-modern bow of respect to the Victorian tradition of insect collecting, where the decaying and disposed of—the “litter” of modernity—is assembled to create an illusory collage,” he tells My Modern Met. “I intend the work to fascinate from a distance, and reveal humor and beautiful art upon closer inspection.”
While random on their own, these foraged parts work harmoniously together to depict a fictional insect. Not only that but by assembling these scraps into “new” works of art, Oliver is returning “litter” to nature. “My work creatively employs these inorganic ‘found’ items to mimic delicate, organic forms, which (if genuine) might, themselves, employ the instinct of mimicry or disguise,” he adds. Litter Bugs have been exhibited internationally and in various galleries across the UK.
You can purchase available art via Oliver’s online shop, and keep up to date with his latest work by following him on Instagram.
UK-based artist Mark Oliver upcycles scrap parts into small sculptures of insects.
Titled Litter Bugs, this series aims to repurpose abandoned objects into a time capsule.
Various scraps can be found in these clever combinations.
Everything from gears, keys, wood, playing cards, and books are carefully pieced together.
As a result of this attention to detail, the bug sculptures look like magical timepieces.
Mark Oliver: Website | Facebook | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Mark Oliver.
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