This Artist Makes Gorgeous Art Out Of Trash

Artur Bordalo is an artist known as Bordalo II, and he's just opened one of his biggest exhibits yet, according to Colossol. In a warehouse in Lisbon, Bordalo is displaying his incredible works of art. He needs the space, because his work is made from large found objects or, more specifically, trash.

But you can't tell by looking at them:

Bordolo's works are typically of large-scale animals displayed against walls and generally composed of plastic, car parts, and trashed construction materials, which he collects himself. His newest show is called Attero, which translates to "waste."

Attero's curator, Lara Seixo Rodrigues, told Colossol that the figures of animals in Bordalo's work is a deliberate juxtaposition with the material that they're composed of.

“Whether on a large or small scale, his unusual sculptural creations oblige us to question and rethink our own role as actors in this static, consumerist and self-destructive society, which exploits, often in an abusive way, the resources that nature offers us," she explained.

Bordalo's artist statement reflects a similar position.

"I belong to a generation that is extremely consumerist, materialist and greedy," he writes. "With the production of things at its highest, the production of "waste" and unused objects is also at its highest. 'Waste' is quoted because of its abstract definition: 'one man's trash is another man's treasure.' I create, recreate, assemble and develop ideas with end-of-life material and try to relate it to sustainability, ecological and social awareness."

Attero was on display through November 17, but Bordalo's work continues to be shown around the world, including in a documentary soon to debut called A Life of Waste.

In the trailer, Bordalo is heard saying that his work isn't really about creating something beautiful from trash. What he really wants is to create images of the victims of our waste that just can't be ignored.