Recycling waste into works of art at new show at Yorkshire Arboretum

The exhibition by James Owen Thomas, which runs until the end of April, is entitled The Art of Recycling and demonstrates how discarded materials can be used to make strikingly inventive art.

James, 22, has made his name as an artist who transforms unwanted and discarded materials such as lottery scratch cards, tickets, and packaging into works that highlight the issues faced by our environment.

Many of the works on display reference the arboretum’s trees, landscape and red squirrels. He told to The Yorkshire Post how he produced a piece of work based on a red squirrel called Erik the Red.

He said: “I use all types of recycled materials. Last year I photographed Erik The Red at the arboretum and did a series of pictures of him. The image is made mainly from recycled National Lottery Scratch cards, but also shredded Christmas cards.

“Using my photo I then create texture on it by collaging string and shredded recycled papers. I often lead workshops to show others how to do my style of photo collage art.”

James, who began exhibiting artwork aged just 15, is a Force for Nature ambassador for the Tree Council, which enables him to promote environmental awareness around the country. He was also present at the COP 26 meeting in Glasgow. On his website James explained the importance of the environment in his work. He said: “In my art I am highlighting issues about the environment and single use products as I turn things discarded by others into a medium for expression.

“For me the starting point of this whole process is to collect and organise into a manageable form all the many pieces of recycled materials I work with. I enjoy creating order out of disorder!”

James was born in Eastbourne and moved to North Yorkshire in 2011. A book about his life, his autism and his art has been commissioned by Bloomsbury and will be published in early 2025. He will be at the arboretum, close to Castle Howard, today to demonstrate his craft.

The arboretum is an independent charity established in 1997 to maintain and protect a unique collection of trees and shrubs from around the world, and to use this resource for education.

John Grimshaw, the arboretum’s director, said: “We’re delighted that James is showing his remarkable art with us. Each picture is a labour of love, composed of thousands of cut-up pieces of otherwise wasted things.”

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