Jan
27
Amanda Nelsen – 40,000 pieces of junk mail turned into art
I don’t know about you but I love getting mail – the good ol’ style. There’s just something utterly romantic about it; the texture, stamps, envelope…such a sensory pleasure – except when you get bills, pizza coupons, the false promises of a politician and the latest Shina-Gel discounted nail polish from the parlor around the corner (now, I don’t know if Shina-Gel is actually a real product so bear with me).
Not long ago I wanted to give a purpose to all of these paper skeletons – aka junk mail – so I went ahead and purchased the Junk Mail Origami Book. That didn’t go well. With the amount of credit card bills I had I would’ve created a paper version of the Titanic – chubby Rose and girly Leo included.
Thank god someone out there has the tenacity and natural talent to tackle this mailbox plague – cue Amanda Nelsen and her incredible Kinkade Recycled installation; a collection of 40,000 junk mail pieces folded and string bundled into 2 inch cubes that resemble colored pixels. At first I thought I was looking at a giant painting, maybe a rug – then I read about it and I couldn’t resist making it the feature for today’s Artful Friday.
Amanda, is because of people like you that this world is so wonderful.
So, are you guys going to give it a try? How about creating a sculpture with your student loan statements? If you are on the same boat as some of my friends – by the end of your project your sculpture could look like the Eiffel tower. Very artful!
239 Responses to “Amanda Nelsen – 40,000 pieces of junk mail turned into art”
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Effing genius. Just found your blog via twitter via DesignMom. Love it, going to eat it up this weekend…:)
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Hey Tiffanie! Yes she is effing brilliant, I can’t even think of how I’d start a project like this. thanks for visiting! :D
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when I saw your post, all I could think about was the stacks of bills at home lol.. time to get creative!
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Junk mail turned into Art is beautiful, it looks like a mosaic from centuries ago :)
[...] is on! All these people went to Alt and I only met a handful of them (sniff!) Keeping the mystery Making junk mail beautiful Uncrushing a dream. [...]
Gorgeous! Love seeing the process and absolutely love seeing the finished piece!
Wow. I mean…WOW. That’s an incredible, amazing, inspiring idea!
Now if only artists like this would tell the rest of us where to send our junk mail…you know, for the public benefit of beautiful art!
:)
That is truly amazing… What a wonderful art idea. Truly unique and beautiful at the same time! Thank you for sharing!
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I’ve been collecting interesting junkmail for sooooooo long! people who know me keep complaining about it. I take pictures of flowers or certain words, then use them later. (I once cut up an IKEA catalogue and stuck peices on, to make a pretty picture of flowers in a vase! Thanks to the ‘textiles’ part of it!) I actually just might try that idea by Amanda Nelsen!
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This is a great use for junk mail. In my town of Rochester, NY, the Memorial Art Gallery just closed a traveling exhibit of Extreme Materials, where artists made sculptures out of pencil stubs, bars of neutrogena soap. The most impressive one was an artist who took thousands of spools of thread and created with them a huge replica of American Gothic, which one could only view by standing at a distance and viewing through a magnifying glass that inverted the image right-side up. Try to see if this exhibit is traveling to your neck of the woods. Congratulations on getting freshly pressed.
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*GASP* that sounds incredible! wow, I’ll def check it out! thanks for visiting..and I didn’t know I got freshly pressed! yay :D
Ha, finally a beautiful use of junk mail. While I think the slow death of mail is sad, I definitely won’t miss junk mail (the only kind of mail I seem to get these days).
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I know! But thanks to this artist we can fight it and make it pretty, right?
Reblogged this on Rhythmic Light and commented:
Not a lot of people may know this about me (due to my primary work in the theatre) but I probably know more about the visual art world (or try to) than the theatre world. I’m constantly looking for new works of art and find a visit to a gallery one of my favorite activities.
This is an interesting and beautiful project that I stumble across.
That is beautiful, absolutely loved it! Great things can be done with recycleables!
Come to my house the next time you want some junk mail. We have tons.
But seriously, that is beautiful.
Really beautiful piece! Love artwork that transforms junk/spam/trash into something new and precious again. Reminds me of two artists I recently blogged about that use a similar aesthetic: Max Glaser and Jack Henry – check them out!
Junk-Mail Mosaic!!!
What a wonderful idea….this or tinder and since I’m not set up w/a woodburning stove I might have to give my shredder a break and look into art for this cursed bane of society. I did tender the notion of using all this junk mail after its been run through the shredder to bulk up the insulation in my attic…maybe I’ll do both!
Thanks for the idea!
Very Artful indeed. The concept of recycling into art is both beautiful and environmentally friendly. I visualize art in everything from bottle caps to clothing tags to tiny dots of paper in mozaic form. I’m not sure if it’s a talent or a curse.I have a collection of credit card junkmail, the type that come with the mock credit card….I received about 300 between 2006 and 2008…the promo ended and so did the mock cards.
Thanks you for sharing this wonderful use of junkmail it inspires me to keep doing what I am doing.
Wow! I blog often about my love of snail mail… And right now you can barely open the door of my student flat for pizza leaflets and such. wish I had the creativity…
Reblogged this on Life, Lyrics and Lemoncake and commented:
I found this with the help of my new best friend, Freshly Pressed. You know I love snail mail. Not so much junk mail, until now!
If I could only do that with Spam E-Mail, I might be so lucky ;)
Cheers and congrats on being freshly pressed!
Cheers,
-Ron
I never would have thought of that. Thanks so much for sharing such a great idea. Connie
http://7thandvine.wordpress.com/
Awesome work of art!
Agreed with that kind of feeling when you get a mail. I really missed that …sometimes :)
theothertuesday
My daughter always thinks I’ll be one of those hoarders where you have to push the door open, past all the papers to get to my body. Mmmm, maybe now all I have to do is find some string…where was it?!
Hari says: Hey, i heard once of this service which contacts retailers on your behalf to stop sending you junk mail, if someone knows of it (i have forgotten) and can tell me, i really want to stop the 10 or so pieces of waste that land in my mailbox everytime i open it. PLEASE PLEASE SOMEONE!
Hari says: …and forgot to say how much i loved this work!
it is really beautiful and thought-provoking! love it!
You took something people take for granted and showed them what can be done with it. Taking the passing objects in our life that we tend to not care about and creating it into such a visually striking piece. Great work!
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It’s Amanda who actually did it, she’s the genius behind this awesome work! :)
That looks incredible – thank you for sharing it, and congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
Jenn says: Thank you for sharing! It really is beautiful. But… Could we maybe keep cracks at peoples’ weight down? I’m sure you didn’t mean anything by it, but it almost spoils the entire article. I think Kate Winslet has a beautiful, albeit average figure; then and now.
Dannijella says: Amanda very inspiration, the piece came out just beautiful. A lively, lovely idea with recycling the mail. Even coupons can be fun.
How clever and creative! With email and whatnot… I don’t get any mail anymore…apart from those pizza flyers and take out menus… lol
Reblogged this on wwtd? what would terripham do? and commented:
I need to star saving up for those 40,000 pieces of junk mail :)
[...] that’s wasteful and rather insidious and used it creatively. Isn’t it beautiful? [via The Artful Desperado] Share this:StumbleUponTwitterFacebookEmailLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]
Reblogged this on Losing A Person and Finding Myself and commented:
I came across this today and had to reblog it. It’s amazing. To have the ability to look at something like junk mail and come up with this thing of beauty is the act of a visionary. Enjoy!
[...] 30 Jan, 2012 Articles Tweet You know how we get so much junk mail and you just don’t know what to do with it? One of the reason’s I’m so big into online technology is with a view to save as many trees as possible but hold that thought – instead of getting grumpy about it why don’t we find something useful to do with it – like this person – check out the website – I thought it was pretty novel – http://theartfuldesperado.com/2012/01/27/amanda-nelsen-40000-pieces-of-junk-mail-turned-into-art/ [...]
We’ve been collecting art ephemera for years, exhibition mailings, artists cards, fliers, brocgures etc. Now we know how to do with them…
Oh my god. How awesome does that look?!? I’d love that in my living room. The creativity some people have is amazing. I truly wish I had the ability to do something this unique. Beautiful.
freaking awesome. 40 000 is a big number. Found some interesting numbers on junk mail on Matadornetwork.com :
100 million trees are cut down each year to produce junk mail.
1 million trees offset 48,000,000 pounds of carbon emissions.
Eliminating junk mail in the US would offset 480,000 cars.
Plus a tip on how to stop getting paper junk mail (US)
Thanks for your creative use Amanda! A beautiful alternative to the landfill!
Cool post Gabriel- congrats on freshly pressed
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I know, it kills me to think that 40,000 pieces is not much compared to ALL the junk mail we get. I’ll check out that link. Thanks for visiting Scott!
Amanda, I love, love, LOVE your work! Kudos. Have you seen El Anatsui’s recycled work? I caught a retrospective of his in Austin over the holidays. Fabu. I’m a quilter, and your work (and his) reminds me of quilts. Well done! Cheers, Denise
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Hi Denise! You totally nailed it I think Amanda’s style (the mind behind THIS art) is similar to El Anatsui’s. For anyone interested, here’s a link with more info about him: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/el-anatsuis-shimmering-echoes-of-a-painful-past/article1737964/
I am not sure what the image resmebles but I love the movement of color.
How cool is that!!! I’ve just put all my recycling onto the street for collection tomorrow morning…..now I’m sorely tempted to bring it all back in!
Thanks so much for posting this (and Congrats for getting Freshly Pressed!)
I have a collection of lids that I think would make a wonderful sculpture, when I get to it(;
missnesbitt says: Reblogged this on miss. nesbitt and commented:
seemed fitting with my upcoming mail art project…nice work!
finally, someone has shown me the beauty that’s possible in one of the most mundane and irritating plagues of the modern era. thank you for sharing this!
and i meant to add that for those inclined to go on a mailbox diet, i’ve assembled a list of free (and nearly free) resources to prevent others from producing such an amazing piece of art: http://liberatedspaces.com/mailbox-diet/ ; )
Amanda, there isn’t much for me to say other than “FREAKING AWESOME!” I’ll admit, I’ve pondered making some art out of the junk mail that I receive, and every single time I place it in the recycling bin I have the urge to save it and start on some project. However, when I saw your freshly pressed post I was absolutely blown away. That absolutely rocks! So wonderful, and thank you so very much for sharing! I love it!
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I should also add – thanks to the Artful Desperado for sharing Amanda’s work!! I was so busy Googling the artist that I neglected to say thanks!
snooway says: great idea! very beautiful.
This is incredible! I HATE junk mail, and it makes me so sad every time I throw it out (well, in the recylcler), all I think is waste, waste, waste.
What a beautiful change this is, well done!
Reblogged this on a Faatoia foto and commented:
Now this is creativity at it’s best! Turning the simplest of things (junk mail in this case) into a masterpiece. Love it! :-)
Awesome and creative doesn’t even begin to explain it. Just love this idea!
val
http://valentinedefrancis.wordpress.com
This looks fantastic- I have always been fond of textural works. I like the way that colour has been employed and they way that each little group of paper has been sorted and neatly tied up. Thankyou for finding this.
A really cool, creative idea to take something hated and make artwork out of it. Thanks for sharing this artist’s work!
This is amazing and ultimately creative! Not to mention kudos on a recycling masterpiece!
Thanks for sharing,
Tammy
The General says: pixel genii! Resourceful that’s for sure.
love love love your blog…so much for an early night, I’ll be up for ages perusing I think….yay!
alastor993 says: Amazing!
What a wonderful visual treat so early in the morning. Such creativity should be given a ‘high five’. So here you go and two snaps!
Wow, this is terrific. I usually just shred my junk mail. I may have to start thinking about it differently.
Stunning!
I am a WordPress photoblogger, so I rarely do big projects like this, but WOW! Breathtaking!
[...] http://theartfuldesperado.com/2012/01/27/amanda-nelsen-40000-pieces-of-junk-mail-turned-into-art/ Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. ← Previous post Follow Blog via Email [...]
As someone who has created direct mail pieces that were anything but art, my soul says thank you.
Red Toenails says: Now that’s creativity.
What a creative idea, using junk mail as art! And it’s such beautiful art as well. Thanks for sharing these photos!
Jeanne Heuer says: Another great idea I wish I had thought of. Congrats on being FP.
So amazing! I love it when people find inspiration in the every day! Thanks for sharing!
This is just unbelievable. Just when I was starting to feel clever, I had to trip over your blog. Genius :)
I think I’m also a creative person and all the time I invent or create new ideas to do stuff out of the blue and at times I guess I create art or something else. Like the other day I create a Memory Game by the help of the paper in my magazines. I’m fan of the 3Rs. Cool Art.
Fabulous! I love textured art and recycling art, and this is both.
You’re right, mail is romantic and alluring. Even though its 98% junk and bills, I find myself at that box day after day with that little piece of hope that somewhere in there will be a letter, addressed to me! For this reason, I started sending out my “Christmas cards” half way through the year… Everyone gets a card in December, but how often do you open your mailbox in June and see “hope your year is coming along well! We’ve been up to…..”
Reblogged this on The Wabi-Sabi Start-Up and commented:
It’s amazing that someone should see beauty in a bunch of junk mail. It’s gorgeous from far away and fascinating from close up.
[...] Another excellent adapted directive. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. This [...]
It’s gorgeous and genius.
But just the thought of keeping all that junk mail makes me claustrophobic.
[...] I got a thank you email from Amanda (the artist that created the rad 40K Junk Mail installation posted below) I couldn’t be more flattered! Amanda mentioned she has a few projects happening in the near [...]
awesome idea… we could use this with our leftover denim! Thanks for inspiring us!
-Logan
http://blog.allamericanclothing.com/
Beautiful and wonderfully creative! I like your idea at the end…. I will think about turning my student loan statements into a sculpture. :)
“Chubby Rose and girly Leo…” LOL!! Come on now, I love Rose and Leo!! Oh ,well. Great blog and what a fabulous idea! What would the world be without people who embraced junk?
Wow. I have no idea how people actually come up with things so crafty and unique! I absolutely love this!
Reblogged this on project1979 and commented:
Yeah! What a great way to turn the student loan mailings into a positive thing :)
Reblogged this on with love, Shmon and commented:
Junkmail could be good for something – this is amazing!
That is so cool!!! What a great thing to do with junk mail no less!! I’m so used taking the junk mail and tossing it through the shredder or putting it into the recycle him…..this has definitely inspired me to look at “trash” in a whole new way….Very awesome indeed!! Thanks for sharing!!
This is amazing. I love getting a letter that isn’t a bill or a restaurant advertisement. Unfortunately, I think love letters are rare though.
Reblogged this on Chris Donner, Mystery Writer and commented:
What to do with all of your junk mail… and to think I was wasting it by recycling. This is amazing!
Brilliant! We have a No Junk Mail sign on our door, so won’t be making one of these any time soon!
That is just brilliant. Can’t agree more on the point of loving getting post too – there’s nothing better, especially if it’s hand-made, from a friend. Now I can look forward to junk-mail too, to build a collection :)
An amazing feat. I can’t imagine what your place looked like before all that junk mail got organized into something so beautiful.
I don’t remember if I commented before, but this is an awesome use of junk mail! You’re very talented.
Great art. But the idea of the junk mail art is Super Great.
The art looks awesome and it says to me that…
‘Even junk becomes beautiful when it is united and joined together’ :)
Nice blog again !!
[...] Finally, did you see this in the Fresh Pressed section? This woman took 40,000 pieces of junk mail and created a work of art. I love this. http://theartfuldesperado.com/2012/01/27/amanda-nelsen-40000-pieces-of-junk-mail-turned-into-art/ [...]
[...] Amanda Nelsen – 40,000 pieces of junk mail turned into art [...]
Oh my goodness, that’s incredible! What is the image suppose to be of? Or is there no image at all? I find this form of art very resourceful, innovative, and of course creative. That takes a lot of time and diligence to fold so many pieces of paper and bundle them into cubes like that!
By the way, I really enjoyed the way you described receiving mail You’re right it is a lot more fun, its tangibility really does make it for an incredible experience. Like a gift during Christmas!
If it’s alright with you, I started a blog of my own not too long ago and I would like to invite you and your readers to please check out my posts, comment, and subscribe! I would really appreciate any feedback as well as your support by signing up! The link is http://www.logicmeetsreason.wordpress.com Thank you so much!
It’s amazing how you can turn literally anything into art! A really cool piece :-)
Reblogged this on Dan McFadden's Blog and commented:
What an achingly cool idea!
wow that’s amazing! i never would’ve thought of doing that. I guess that’s why my ‘art’ is music and not drawing or ‘external’ or ‘visual’ art.
THIS IS INSANELY AMAZING!!!! thank you so much for bringing this to everyones attention!! truly LOVE IT!!
totally loved it! Very beautiful and so creative. Simpel is genious and thsi one is both. :)
http://dressupforme.wordpress.com/
WOW! I don’t even know where to begin with this one! This is amazing! How in the world did you ever come up with an idea such as this? You are extremely talented!
This is amazing.
Now that I think about it, the most colorful pieces of paper that are sent to us in the mail is junk mail… :D
She turned what is normally discarded without thought, into something that people respect and acknowledge. I love her unique idea!
[...] 40,000 Pieces of Junk Mail Turned Into Art [...]
That is SO cool! I thought I was smart for using my junk mail as scrap paper for my writing! I think I might have a new project…Thank you!
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed! I was just thinking yesterday morning, “What to do with all this junk mail?!” after my mailman rammed it through my door. I considered the many ways we can reduce printing them altogether – at least 95% of what I receive was unsolicited so one can start there – but I never considered doing anything remotely artful with it. Thanks for the great recos – they are beautiful! My six-year old artist will love this!
wow, I love your blog, and especially your theme! You mind sharing with me how to find a theme like this or who created it?
And yes, you’re right receiving mail is such a sweet sensory pleasure that is often forgotten because of the rise of email.
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Hi Joseph! I am actually using one of the WordPress templates, I believe it’s called Obox (you can see more details right at the bottom of the page). I edited the CSS on the blog to make it my own. Hope this helps!
Wow! Lovely creativity! what a way to go green turning junk into something amazing!
I feel like the letter writers of the past and recyclers of the present have joined in one harmonious piece of brilliance and appreciation. I approve.
This is INCREDIBLE!!!!! WOW!!!! who knew junk mail could be upcycled in such a beautiful way!?! inspiring!!
[...] More photos here. [...]
Betty R. says: I am absolutely in Love with this. I love handwritten letters (blogged about it) but I get a TON of junk mail. This is absolutely magnificent.
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Right? Handwritten letters are the best! They are the best surprise one can receive in the mailbox.
Reblogged this on upcyclingruth and commented:
OK, I know twice in one day is a bit much, but this is worth it. How inspiring!!
actan says: Reblogged this on This That & The Other Design and commented:
Okay folks. This is really creative.
[...] the subject of junk mail, I came across this awe-inspiring art made out of junk mail by book artist, Amanda Nelson, on an art blog I stumbled across called the The Artful Desperado. [...]
Soo many things to say, hope you are reading this!
1. Beautiful template of this blog, absolutely beautiful.
2. Beautiful concept
3. Even more beautiful realization
4. Congratulations
5. Start again at point 1 LOL
I must say, good work sire!
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wow thanks so much for your kind words sir. It makes me happy people come here and enjoy the art! thanks again
Wow, nicely done!! Haha, creating a sculpture with my student loan statements, good idea, though I mostly feel like throwing them in the garbage.
Genius! I love turning rubbish into something beautiful and useful even if it’s just for looks!
Great I love that a great idea and beautiful. Nice blog too…I like the theme and layout…something new.
good lord how utterly brilliant! Shame I recycle the junk mail without reading it or I’d have enough material for the entire suburb
[...] 40,000 pieces of junk mail into art? [...]
I really do love you blog. I think what you’re doing is great ! Check out my blog http://www.politooooo.wordpress.com :)
It always amazes me when people manage to create such beauty from junk this is truly a beautiful piece.
Hi Amanda,
I am the Gallery Manager for Malton Gallery in Cincinnati Ohio.
Just wanted to say I LOVE your sculpture!! Beauty from a frightening amount of junk mail, and you gave purpose for all the sacrificed trees! That’s MY kind of art!
Brenda
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Oh hi, Gabriel here. Amanda was featured on this article, but I’m the one behind the blog :) thanks for popping by!
[...] Call it happenstance, internal volition because whenI came across this artist and her work on The Artful Desperado, I didn’t realize she is also a book artist and binder. {I [...]
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Effing genius. Just found your blog via twitter via DesignMom. Love it, going to eat it up this weekend…:)
Hey Tiffanie! Yes she is effing brilliant, I can’t even think of how I’d start a project like this. thanks for visiting! :D
when I saw your post, all I could think about was the stacks of bills at home lol.. time to get creative!
Junk mail turned into Art is beautiful, it looks like a mosaic from centuries ago :)
[...] is on! All these people went to Alt and I only met a handful of them (sniff!) Keeping the mystery Making junk mail beautiful Uncrushing a dream. [...]
Gorgeous! Love seeing the process and absolutely love seeing the finished piece!
Crap on a cracker this is awesome!!
HAHA!! crap on a cracker, that’s a whole new level of awesome!
Wow. I mean…WOW. That’s an incredible, amazing, inspiring idea!
Now if only artists like this would tell the rest of us where to send our junk mail…you know, for the public benefit of beautiful art!
:)
haha that’s a great idea
Oh wow. This is amazing! And this is what you call art. Very very nice! :)
Fantastic! Beautiful work!
amazing!
That is truly amazing… What a wonderful art idea. Truly unique and beautiful at the same time! Thank you for sharing!
Now you know what to do with your junk mail :)
I’ve been collecting interesting junkmail for sooooooo long! people who know me keep complaining about it. I take pictures of flowers or certain words, then use them later. (I once cut up an IKEA catalogue and stuck peices on, to make a pretty picture of flowers in a vase! Thanks to the ‘textiles’ part of it!) I actually just might try that idea by Amanda Nelsen!
Incredibly clever creation! Well done!
This is a great use for junk mail. In my town of Rochester, NY, the Memorial Art Gallery just closed a traveling exhibit of Extreme Materials, where artists made sculptures out of pencil stubs, bars of neutrogena soap. The most impressive one was an artist who took thousands of spools of thread and created with them a huge replica of American Gothic, which one could only view by standing at a distance and viewing through a magnifying glass that inverted the image right-side up. Try to see if this exhibit is traveling to your neck of the woods. Congratulations on getting freshly pressed.
*GASP* that sounds incredible! wow, I’ll def check it out! thanks for visiting..and I didn’t know I got freshly pressed! yay :D
OMG you are so creative – truly inspiring – love your work! :)
This is just really, really cool! Think I’ll make my self one of those;)
Reblogged this on wincharles.
Ha, finally a beautiful use of junk mail. While I think the slow death of mail is sad, I definitely won’t miss junk mail (the only kind of mail I seem to get these days).
I know! But thanks to this artist we can fight it and make it pretty, right?
I like it.
That is really beautiful.
Reblogged this on Rhythmic Light and commented:
Not a lot of people may know this about me (due to my primary work in the theatre) but I probably know more about the visual art world (or try to) than the theatre world. I’m constantly looking for new works of art and find a visit to a gallery one of my favorite activities.
This is an interesting and beautiful project that I stumble across.
That is beautiful, absolutely loved it! Great things can be done with recycleables!
This is brilliant!
Brilliant. Down right brilliant!
Kathy
Come to my house the next time you want some junk mail. We have tons.
But seriously, that is beautiful.
Really beautiful piece! Love artwork that transforms junk/spam/trash into something new and precious again. Reminds me of two artists I recently blogged about that use a similar aesthetic: Max Glaser and Jack Henry – check them out!
I will check them out! Thanks for visiting :)
Junk-Mail Mosaic!!!
What a wonderful idea….this or tinder and since I’m not set up w/a woodburning stove I might have to give my shredder a break and look into art for this cursed bane of society. I did tender the notion of using all this junk mail after its been run through the shredder to bulk up the insulation in my attic…maybe I’ll do both!
Thanks for the idea!
Do it! Your eyes and creative soul will be pleased
Aha, I knew someone would come up with a use for junkmail sooner or later !
Very Artful indeed. The concept of recycling into art is both beautiful and environmentally friendly. I visualize art in everything from bottle caps to clothing tags to tiny dots of paper in mozaic form. I’m not sure if it’s a talent or a curse.I have a collection of credit card junkmail, the type that come with the mock credit card….I received about 300 between 2006 and 2008…the promo ended and so did the mock cards.
Thanks you for sharing this wonderful use of junkmail it inspires me to keep doing what I am doing.
Wow! I blog often about my love of snail mail… And right now you can barely open the door of my student flat for pizza leaflets and such. wish I had the creativity…
Reblogged this on Life, Lyrics and Lemoncake and commented:
I found this with the help of my new best friend, Freshly Pressed. You know I love snail mail. Not so much junk mail, until now!
If I could only do that with Spam E-Mail, I might be so lucky ;)
Cheers and congrats on being freshly pressed!
Cheers,
-Ron
Looks great :)
I never would have thought of that. Thanks so much for sharing such a great idea. Connie
http://7thandvine.wordpress.com/
Awesome work of art!
Agreed with that kind of feeling when you get a mail. I really missed that …sometimes :)
theothertuesday
My daughter always thinks I’ll be one of those hoarders where you have to push the door open, past all the papers to get to my body. Mmmm, maybe now all I have to do is find some string…where was it?!
haha yes! now there’s a place for all of those bills
It’s a great idea! She must have had a lot of patience! It’s so imaginative too.
Hey, i heard once of this service which contacts retailers on your behalf to stop sending you junk mail, if someone knows of it (i have forgotten) and can tell me, i really want to stop the 10 or so pieces of waste that land in my mailbox everytime i open it. PLEASE PLEASE SOMEONE!
…and forgot to say how much i loved this work!
it is really beautiful and thought-provoking! love it!
AMAZING!!! Congrats on being FP.
You took something people take for granted and showed them what can be done with it. Taking the passing objects in our life that we tend to not care about and creating it into such a visually striking piece. Great work!
It’s Amanda who actually did it, she’s the genius behind this awesome work! :)
SUPER COOL. LOVE THE COLOR PATTERN.
That looks incredible – thank you for sharing it, and congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
I love this idea and the way it turned out! Great great job! Continued success! :)
Thank you for sharing! It really is beautiful. But… Could we maybe keep cracks at peoples’ weight down? I’m sure you didn’t mean anything by it, but it almost spoils the entire article. I think Kate Winslet has a beautiful, albeit average figure; then and now.
these are beautiful.
amazing! junk to art.
woofs
Wow! love, love, love this! Thank you for sharing.
EL
http://mselenalevontraveling.com
Awesome!
Amanda very inspiration, the piece came out just beautiful. A lively, lovely idea with recycling the mail. Even coupons can be fun.
How clever and creative! With email and whatnot… I don’t get any mail anymore…apart from those pizza flyers and take out menus… lol
Reblogged this on wwtd? what would terripham do? and commented:
I need to star saving up for those 40,000 pieces of junk mail :)
You better :)
[...] that’s wasteful and rather insidious and used it creatively. Isn’t it beautiful? [via The Artful Desperado] Share this:StumbleUponTwitterFacebookEmailLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]
This is amazing and great pictures. Thanks for sharing.
sev
Reblogged this on Losing A Person and Finding Myself and commented:
I came across this today and had to reblog it. It’s amazing. To have the ability to look at something like junk mail and come up with this thing of beauty is the act of a visionary. Enjoy!
This is so Awesome!
Amazing way to recycle unwanted paper.
[...] 30 Jan, 2012 Articles Tweet You know how we get so much junk mail and you just don’t know what to do with it? One of the reason’s I’m so big into online technology is with a view to save as many trees as possible but hold that thought – instead of getting grumpy about it why don’t we find something useful to do with it – like this person – check out the website – I thought it was pretty novel – http://theartfuldesperado.com/2012/01/27/amanda-nelsen-40000-pieces-of-junk-mail-turned-into-art/ [...]
That’s incredible!
We’ve been collecting art ephemera for years, exhibition mailings, artists cards, fliers, brocgures etc. Now we know how to do with them…
That is simply pure damn genius. It’s also quite beautiful.
What a brilliant idea! It looks fantastic!
Oh my god. How awesome does that look?!? I’d love that in my living room. The creativity some people have is amazing. I truly wish I had the ability to do something this unique. Beautiful.
Great way of recycling .. apart from recycling itself.
oh my goodness. that’s so creative.
Reblogged this on sofausc and commented:
such a beautiful junk, literally. This is Art, though, right? So ingenious.
freaking awesome. 40 000 is a big number. Found some interesting numbers on junk mail on Matadornetwork.com :
100 million trees are cut down each year to produce junk mail.
1 million trees offset 48,000,000 pounds of carbon emissions.
Eliminating junk mail in the US would offset 480,000 cars.
Plus a tip on how to stop getting paper junk mail (US)
Thanks for your creative use Amanda! A beautiful alternative to the landfill!
Cool post Gabriel- congrats on freshly pressed
I know, it kills me to think that 40,000 pieces is not much compared to ALL the junk mail we get. I’ll check out that link. Thanks for visiting Scott!
Reblogged this on meganbise and commented:
interesting blog I found on WordPress!
Wow
amazing!!!!!
Amanda, I love, love, LOVE your work! Kudos. Have you seen El Anatsui’s recycled work? I caught a retrospective of his in Austin over the holidays. Fabu. I’m a quilter, and your work (and his) reminds me of quilts. Well done! Cheers, Denise
Hi Denise! You totally nailed it I think Amanda’s style (the mind behind THIS art) is similar to El Anatsui’s. For anyone interested, here’s a link with more info about him: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/el-anatsuis-shimmering-echoes-of-a-painful-past/article1737964/
If only there was a “LOVE” button…
Love it!
Thanks for sharing!
I think WordPress should get on that!
Love it!!
I am not sure what the image resmebles but I love the movement of color.
How cool is that!!! I’ve just put all my recycling onto the street for collection tomorrow morning…..now I’m sorely tempted to bring it all back in!
Thanks so much for posting this (and Congrats for getting Freshly Pressed!)
I have a collection of lids that I think would make a wonderful sculpture, when I get to it(;
cockroaches will have a grand time living in this piece of wall art. :)
ew
This is amazing.
Reblogged this on miss. nesbitt and commented:
seemed fitting with my upcoming mail art project…nice work!
So impressive!
Reblogged this on La Vie de Jackie and commented:
How awesome!
I Love this! I want to make one!
I LOVE this. Turning everyday junk into art. :)
Beautiful. God, I’m so tired of this crap in the mail.
Reblogged this on yourstruliejulie.
very nice!
finally, someone has shown me the beauty that’s possible in one of the most mundane and irritating plagues of the modern era. thank you for sharing this!
and i meant to add that for those inclined to go on a mailbox diet, i’ve assembled a list of free (and nearly free) resources to prevent others from producing such an amazing piece of art: http://liberatedspaces.com/mailbox-diet/ ; )
Great!
Amanda, there isn’t much for me to say other than “FREAKING AWESOME!” I’ll admit, I’ve pondered making some art out of the junk mail that I receive, and every single time I place it in the recycling bin I have the urge to save it and start on some project. However, when I saw your freshly pressed post I was absolutely blown away. That absolutely rocks! So wonderful, and thank you so very much for sharing! I love it!
I should also add – thanks to the Artful Desperado for sharing Amanda’s work!! I was so busy Googling the artist that I neglected to say thanks!
You are very welcome amigo!
SOOOOO beautiful. I love the soft colors.
Kate
http://www.365til30.com
great idea! very beautiful.
This is incredible! I HATE junk mail, and it makes me so sad every time I throw it out (well, in the recylcler), all I think is waste, waste, waste.
What a beautiful change this is, well done!
woah ur creativity! awsome! :) nice blog
Reblogged this on bratenellablogapy and commented:
This is amazing!
Stuff like this is what my Garbage Art is inspired by.
Reblogged this on a Faatoia foto and commented:
Now this is creativity at it’s best! Turning the simplest of things (junk mail in this case) into a masterpiece. Love it! :-)
AMAZING! Wow! I mean… Ahh.. I just love this. :)
Reblogged this on dexterhotel and commented:
Creative and just amazing.
Genius!! Bravo
Awesome and creative doesn’t even begin to explain it. Just love this idea!
val
http://valentinedefrancis.wordpress.com
i’m amazed, incredibly beautiful. two thumbs up!
This looks fantastic- I have always been fond of textural works. I like the way that colour has been employed and they way that each little group of paper has been sorted and neatly tied up. Thankyou for finding this.
A really cool, creative idea to take something hated and make artwork out of it. Thanks for sharing this artist’s work!
This is amazing and ultimately creative! Not to mention kudos on a recycling masterpiece!
Thanks for sharing,
Tammy
Another environmental awareness lesson. What’s next on the list?
pixel genii! Resourceful that’s for sure.
love love love your blog…so much for an early night, I’ll be up for ages perusing I think….yay!
Peruse away funky Monkey! :D
I love this – such a great use of junk mail! lovely blog :)
thank you!
Interesting idea.
Amazing!
What a wonderful visual treat so early in the morning. Such creativity should be given a ‘high five’. So here you go and two snaps!
High five back at you with 2 snaps AND a hip bump!
Wow, this is terrific. I usually just shred my junk mail. I may have to start thinking about it differently.
great idea !!!
Stunning!
I am a WordPress photoblogger, so I rarely do big projects like this, but WOW! Breathtaking!
[...] http://theartfuldesperado.com/2012/01/27/amanda-nelsen-40000-pieces-of-junk-mail-turned-into-art/ Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. ← Previous post Follow Blog via Email [...]
As someone who has created direct mail pieces that were anything but art, my soul says thank you.
My soul says you’re welcome, Mike
Sooo coool!
Now that’s creativity.
What a creative idea, using junk mail as art! And it’s such beautiful art as well. Thanks for sharing these photos!
Another great idea I wish I had thought of. Congrats on being FP.
So amazing! I love it when people find inspiration in the every day! Thanks for sharing!
This is just unbelievable. Just when I was starting to feel clever, I had to trip over your blog. Genius :)
You ARE clever Danya :)
I think I’m also a creative person and all the time I invent or create new ideas to do stuff out of the blue and at times I guess I create art or something else. Like the other day I create a Memory Game by the help of the paper in my magazines. I’m fan of the 3Rs. Cool Art.
Reblogged this on sarahmyersart.
Reblogged this on braillamay and commented:
creative use of junk mail
that’s something to do with wat ppl think is waste!!:)
nice!
Fabulous! I love textured art and recycling art, and this is both.
Reblogged this on lucyshipp and commented:
Working on a paper garden community and schools project at the moment, some good ideas here possibly..
You’re right, mail is romantic and alluring. Even though its 98% junk and bills, I find myself at that box day after day with that little piece of hope that somewhere in there will be a letter, addressed to me! For this reason, I started sending out my “Christmas cards” half way through the year… Everyone gets a card in December, but how often do you open your mailbox in June and see “hope your year is coming along well! We’ve been up to…..”
that’s amazing! Love the idea
Reblogged this on The Wabi-Sabi Start-Up and commented:
It’s amazing that someone should see beauty in a bunch of junk mail. It’s gorgeous from far away and fascinating from close up.
[...] Another excellent adapted directive. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. This [...]
It’s gorgeous and genius.
But just the thought of keeping all that junk mail makes me claustrophobic.
very cool. unique
http://studentbarrister2011.wordpress.com/
Beautiful!
Awesome idea. Thanks for sharing
[...] I got a thank you email from Amanda (the artist that created the rad 40K Junk Mail installation posted below) I couldn’t be more flattered! Amanda mentioned she has a few projects happening in the near [...]
great idea
awesome idea… we could use this with our leftover denim! Thanks for inspiring us!
-Logan
http://blog.allamericanclothing.com/
Beautiful and wonderfully creative! I like your idea at the end…. I will think about turning my student loan statements into a sculpture. :)
“Chubby Rose and girly Leo…” LOL!! Come on now, I love Rose and Leo!! Oh ,well. Great blog and what a fabulous idea! What would the world be without people who embraced junk?
This is so imaginative-I love it!
SO EPIC
Wow. I have no idea how people actually come up with things so crafty and unique! I absolutely love this!
Reblogged this on project1979 and commented:
Yeah! What a great way to turn the student loan mailings into a positive thing :)
Reblogged this on with love, Shmon and commented:
Junkmail could be good for something – this is amazing!
As a professional organizer, I think that this is amazing. Good on ya!
That is so cool!!! What a great thing to do with junk mail no less!! I’m so used taking the junk mail and tossing it through the shredder or putting it into the recycle him…..this has definitely inspired me to look at “trash” in a whole new way….Very awesome indeed!! Thanks for sharing!!
This is amazing. I love getting a letter that isn’t a bill or a restaurant advertisement. Unfortunately, I think love letters are rare though.
Reblogged this on Chris Donner, Mystery Writer and commented:
What to do with all of your junk mail… and to think I was wasting it by recycling. This is amazing!
Brilliant! We have a No Junk Mail sign on our door, so won’t be making one of these any time soon!
That is just brilliant. Can’t agree more on the point of loving getting post too – there’s nothing better, especially if it’s hand-made, from a friend. Now I can look forward to junk-mail too, to build a collection :)
So brilliant. Love it! http://www.whatifoundwhilewalkingaround.com
Reblogged this on crwdesigntalk.
Very cool!
An amazing feat. I can’t imagine what your place looked like before all that junk mail got organized into something so beautiful.
I don’t remember if I commented before, but this is an awesome use of junk mail! You’re very talented.
I love this!!! So creative and good for the environment!
Stunning!!!!
Great art. But the idea of the junk mail art is Super Great.
The art looks awesome and it says to me that…
‘Even junk becomes beautiful when it is united and joined together’ :)
Nice blog again !!
[...] Finally, did you see this in the Fresh Pressed section? This woman took 40,000 pieces of junk mail and created a work of art. I love this. http://theartfuldesperado.com/2012/01/27/amanda-nelsen-40000-pieces-of-junk-mail-turned-into-art/ [...]
[...] Amanda Nelsen – 40,000 pieces of junk mail turned into art [...]
The word junk must be deleted, removed in the dictionary…
I love it!
Brilliant!
Oh my goodness, that’s incredible! What is the image suppose to be of? Or is there no image at all? I find this form of art very resourceful, innovative, and of course creative. That takes a lot of time and diligence to fold so many pieces of paper and bundle them into cubes like that!
By the way, I really enjoyed the way you described receiving mail You’re right it is a lot more fun, its tangibility really does make it for an incredible experience. Like a gift during Christmas!
If it’s alright with you, I started a blog of my own not too long ago and I would like to invite you and your readers to please check out my posts, comment, and subscribe! I would really appreciate any feedback as well as your support by signing up! The link is http://www.logicmeetsreason.wordpress.com Thank you so much!
Hi! I’ll pop by your blog and check it out, thank you!
It’s amazing how you can turn literally anything into art! A really cool piece :-)
Reblogged this on Dan McFadden's Blog and commented:
What an achingly cool idea!
What a great idea!it looks awesome!
wow that’s amazing! i never would’ve thought of doing that. I guess that’s why my ‘art’ is music and not drawing or ‘external’ or ‘visual’ art.
THIS IS INSANELY AMAZING!!!! thank you so much for bringing this to everyones attention!! truly LOVE IT!!
totally loved it! Very beautiful and so creative. Simpel is genious and thsi one is both. :)
http://dressupforme.wordpress.com/
WOW! I don’t even know where to begin with this one! This is amazing! How in the world did you ever come up with an idea such as this? You are extremely talented!
This is amazing.
Now that I think about it, the most colorful pieces of paper that are sent to us in the mail is junk mail… :D
She turned what is normally discarded without thought, into something that people respect and acknowledge. I love her unique idea!
This is fabulous!
[...] 40,000 Pieces of Junk Mail Turned Into Art [...]
That is SO cool! I thought I was smart for using my junk mail as scrap paper for my writing! I think I might have a new project…Thank you!
Yes, do it April :)
Brilliant!
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed! I was just thinking yesterday morning, “What to do with all this junk mail?!” after my mailman rammed it through my door. I considered the many ways we can reduce printing them altogether – at least 95% of what I receive was unsolicited so one can start there – but I never considered doing anything remotely artful with it. Thanks for the great recos – they are beautiful! My six-year old artist will love this!
wow, I love your blog, and especially your theme! You mind sharing with me how to find a theme like this or who created it?
And yes, you’re right receiving mail is such a sweet sensory pleasure that is often forgotten because of the rise of email.
Hi Joseph! I am actually using one of the WordPress templates, I believe it’s called Obox (you can see more details right at the bottom of the page). I edited the CSS on the blog to make it my own. Hope this helps!
Wow, truly beautiful – in more ways than one!
Amazing.
Wow! Lovely creativity! what a way to go green turning junk into something amazing!
I feel like the letter writers of the past and recyclers of the present have joined in one harmonious piece of brilliance and appreciation. I approve.
This is INCREDIBLE!!!!! WOW!!!! who knew junk mail could be upcycled in such a beautiful way!?! inspiring!!
[...] More photos here. [...]
I am absolutely in Love with this. I love handwritten letters (blogged about it) but I get a TON of junk mail. This is absolutely magnificent.
Right? Handwritten letters are the best! They are the best surprise one can receive in the mailbox.
Magic and awesomeness – !
Reblogged this on upcyclingruth and commented:
OK, I know twice in one day is a bit much, but this is worth it. How inspiring!!
It is worth it!
Reblogged this on This That & The Other Design and commented:
Okay folks. This is really creative.
[...] the subject of junk mail, I came across this awe-inspiring art made out of junk mail by book artist, Amanda Nelson, on an art blog I stumbled across called the The Artful Desperado. [...]
Soo many things to say, hope you are reading this!
1. Beautiful template of this blog, absolutely beautiful.
2. Beautiful concept
3. Even more beautiful realization
4. Congratulations
5. Start again at point 1 LOL
I must say, good work sire!
wow thanks so much for your kind words sir. It makes me happy people come here and enjoy the art! thanks again
Wow, nicely done!! Haha, creating a sculpture with my student loan statements, good idea, though I mostly feel like throwing them in the garbage.
haha true!
Genius! I love turning rubbish into something beautiful and useful even if it’s just for looks!
Great I love that a great idea and beautiful. Nice blog too…I like the theme and layout…something new.
Thanks a lot mr.
good lord how utterly brilliant! Shame I recycle the junk mail without reading it or I’d have enough material for the entire suburb
[...] 40,000 pieces of junk mail into art? [...]
I really do love you blog. I think what you’re doing is great ! Check out my blog http://www.politooooo.wordpress.com :)
It always amazes me when people manage to create such beauty from junk this is truly a beautiful piece.
Wow I’m gonna start collecting junk !
Hi Amanda,
I am the Gallery Manager for Malton Gallery in Cincinnati Ohio.
Just wanted to say I LOVE your sculpture!! Beauty from a frightening amount of junk mail, and you gave purpose for all the sacrificed trees! That’s MY kind of art!
Brenda
Oh hi, Gabriel here. Amanda was featured on this article, but I’m the one behind the blog :) thanks for popping by!
[...] Call it happenstance, internal volition because whenI came across this artist and her work on The Artful Desperado, I didn’t realize she is also a book artist and binder. {I [...]
Reblogged this on xiaodanchen.
Reblogged this on MemyselfandI.
Very resourceful! I would like to try it too! ^_^
Do it! Use Amanda’s art as inspiration ;)
Reblogged this on DoraDoha and commented:
I would definitely try this out! Another idea to get those trashes to be in better use.