Bridging The Gap Between Trash and Art Supplies
I first came across artist Brad Bianchi's work online and seeing that he lived in Pittsburgh, where I had once lived and still stop a lot, I knew that we'd meet. And after an initial meeting and bonding over reuse, coffee and a similar love for 80s pop culture, we started finding ways to work together. We've collaborated on numerous projects over the years like STAY VOCAL T-Shirts, a custom art piece for The REUSE! Box Truck and finding a place for the truck to park when I roll through Pittsburgh! It's always great seeing Brad and his vast array of unique pieces. And I love trying to figure out what materials he used in a piece. You'll experience that below. Enjoy!
1. So, when people visit your galleries, it's clear that you like a few different styles and mediums. The first one that got us collaborating was your "Bradlines" series. How did that come to be and how has it evolved?
My line works started when I was around 16. Back in the days of landlines, I would watch both my parents doodle while on the phone. So I started mimicking these patterns and creating my own style. It has evolved in so many ways for me over the years. I have drawn on a wide range of mediums and physical objects. And after years and many miles of lines it has become a meditative practice for me.
2. You also make some really unique sculptures out of used materials that many would deem "trash" or "recyclables." What drew you to those items as mediums?
My parents were a huge influence on this side as well. My mom was always finding unique wood furniture pieces being discarded, sometimes needing a restoration and others only needing a good cleaning. One day I decided to turn our old jungle gym into an enclosed treehouse. My dad would bring home surplus and reclaimed lumber from job sites for the transformation. He found me some exotic woods and surplus oak flooring while I was studying furniture design in college and he has continued to this day. I’m a lucky one.
3. What's your favorite used item to find and incorporate into art? And do you have any favorite places to "shop?"
I really enjoy finding multiples of an object. Weird, unrecognizable metal pieces and old homemade wood objects are some of my favorite finds. Estate sales are definitely my number one spot to shop. I never know what I could find and it’s so neat getting a glimpse into the tiny basement/garage home workshops of yesterday. Plus most of the items I’m seeking are still there at the end of the sale when prices are at the lowest!
4. So, while I'm certainly a solutions guy, we do have to address the problems. Where do you see the most waste in your daily life?
Plastic food and drink packaging without a doubt is the worst. It is one time use and almost everywhere you look when outside.
5. In your personal experience, how do you think recycling has worked and NOT worked as a solution to waste?
The recycling process for many items is way too much for our environment. Recycling has given people a false idea of the destruction caused by plastic. I would love to see more aluminum being used as it is the only material that can be recycled without too much damage.
6. How do you think the U.S. could step up the solutions to our waste problem? Have you seen or heard of anything anywhere else?
I would like to see it become mandatory for corporations to lessen and make all packaging more reusable. Things like labels that can be easily removed, caps that have other uses such as measuring cups, and anything that can be made compostable. The “cigarette butt disposal polling bins” should be in every place where they accumulate. Sometimes you have to make it a fun game, because those are the number one thing we don’t need scattered across our environment.
7. It's funny. I always tell people that reusing is nothing new. It’s been going on long before we were here. Do you have any memories of your parents or grandparents reusing in unique ways?
I have always loved how metal cookie tins have been reused by prior generations. They have held so many things from sewing supplies to screws and keepsakes, and continue being used after 50+ years.
8. Do you have any notable stories about saving money on something because you bought it used instead of new?
In 2014, I bought a 1989 Chevy pickup truck for $250. It had over 225,000 miles when I got it. I drove it for 18 months 'til the engine blew and I sold it again for $250. Then about a year or two after that I saw it being sold again on Craigslist. I like to imagine it’s closing in on 500k miles with its 6-7th engine and transmission.
9. Have you ever taken anything out of the recycling bin or trash to reuse somehow or maybe found something on the side of the road?
Just about every time I’m near a side of the road I will find some tiny, interesting metal object. I always have an eye out on trash night for some special finds. My partner showed me a floral company dumpster that is always full of half used tea light candles from events. I’ve gathered those a few times and used them with a terracotta pot to create a mini heater in my studio.
10. And lastly, what’s the best thing that you ever got used and why? Got a photo?
That is a tough one. The fact that I’ve been able to save many thousands of pounds of objects and materials from a landfill brings me the most joy. I’ve had the opportunity to reuse personal objects in commissions for loved ones of a deceased family member, that’s extra special. I just love the irony in reusing a single use object that was never thought to be an art material.
To learn more about Brad, his art , and maybe even hire him for a custom piece,
To order the "Bradlines Cover Up" T-Shirt that Brad is wearing in his profile photo (and that he designed), head over to the STAY VOCAL Shop.
Comments