Carolyn Cardinet: Visual Art Blog

This is the interview by Ebru Halimoff that was published in the Maribyrnong Star Weekly  Footscray artist Carolyn Cardinet’s message against littering Ebru Halimoff | 13:22:PM 10/12/2014 Wednesday December 17, 2014   Carolyn Cardinet and her artwork created from waste.  Photo: Damjan Janevski A local artist has created art from Footscray’s waste and plastic debris to highlight the problem of littering. Carolyn Cardinet’s Monument to Footscray is on display in the courtyard of Footscray library until December 20.   Ms Cardinet has been collecting white waste from local streets and has been keeping a record of her findings in Footscray. She says three totems she built in the public area represent what she has seen in Footscray. “I’m doing this because plastic is full of contaminates,” she said. “It releases toxins when in the water, polluting the water and finding its way back into our food. “We should use glass containers and stop polluti

Installing my residency work  'Monuments to Footscray'  Today the Footscray Library Courtyard was transformed from this to this

The story behind this artist residency at Artsbox has been captured in a short film format for you to view Thank you Dan Rozario for doing a fabulous job on this video: The Beauty of Trash Artsbox Artist Residency                                                        To view click on Vimeo link below                                                              http://vimeo.com/112121383

Last Day Artwork finished! A few locals came in to see the close to finished work ' Monument to Footscray' during the day. An installation of three totems to create awareness on local plastic consumerism which is spreading across the World.  The work will be on display at the Footscray library in the courtyard from Monday 23rd November 2014

Scavenger Days are nearly OVER One of my last day picking up rubbish today I have concentrated in the last minute design of the Totem and went to pick up flatten plastic bottles Photo by Debbie Punton Today the lovely warm weather brought many visitors, some recurring friendly people, to the studio. Many budding artists live in the area and use the #FootscrayLibrary extensively I must say that the library has an amazing program catering for all the communities from the Maribyrnong area. Here are some photos of the flatten bottles gathered from one area along French Street( how appropriate). This was before a lovely vietnamese lunch at #PhoHungVuongSaigon next to Nab at 128 Hopkins st, right opposite #Trocadero and #FiveWalls galleries. I always love coming to this restaurant where the locals go and have never been disappointed. That was after I took my friends on a tour of my favorite Footscray market #LittleSaigonMarket where the products are soooo fresh they are still

Plenty to find and put together 

Lots to find yesterday Last week of the residency and speeding to get to the finishing line Working out how to display and hang some of the plastic bits found Drill, straps, fishing line and glue are all in action in the studio this week Here are some of my finds Black and White: Plastic plate Straws Knife Coffee cup lids Soft drink lids Beer pack plastic holder Texter Bell Plastic strips

Made a green seat to match #Artsboxmcc new green space and will make another one tomorrow to display together on the crates our new terrace addition that is in the shade! A blessing on a hot day...

Cold and rainy the day started,  I decided to go to the studio late which paid of as I came across all this plastic trash  Black: Knife Hanger Straws Packaging strap White: Coffee lids Soft drinks lids Seringe Seringe packaging Packaging strip Straws Knife  Lids Plastic bag Bubble wrap 

Today I met some lovely locals whom wandered into Artsboxmcc. Sold a necklace to Matthew and spoke to Katie a freelance writer. I continue developing the totems and have secured their lining.

First day Gleaning and harvesting the plastic trash found on the streets around my new studio Discovering my new surroundings, I walked for 1.1/2hour and have gathered a promising amount of found plastics objects.Such as: Black: Agi pipe Straw Take away coffee lid Window Rubber Shoe bow Corners Rubber Fork White: Packaging Straps Fork Straws Bottle Lid Mc Donald's drink cup lids Take Away coffee lids Industrial lid

Walking tour Footscray Today as a new resident, I joined a council walking tour of Footscray the tour led us from the Footscray Town Hall to Hopkins st bridge by Amanda Morgan then the wall painting that can be seen from the bridge intersection by  Conrad Bizjak  and then up to the library to see the tree lanterns by Jessica Kelly to end up at my  at #Artsboxmcc artist residency studio. Look up www.facebook.com/StreetworksMCC

Mapping Footscray through my walks Enjoy Bettle leaves on rice noodles for lunch packaged in a sustainable and compostable container Black: Knife  Bottle cap Bits Reflector White: Spoon Packaging strips Pipe Take away coffee lid Take away soft drink lid Straw Packaging strap

Getting better everyday! This lovely studio space has a new outdoor green space  From this: To this:

Taking shape This morning the 'Monument to Footscray', my ephemeral totems work is progressing. Putting together slowly but surelly the gathered #Plastics of my #FootscrayLife. In a week or so this work will be finished and ready to be displayed in #Footscray.

Quiet day at studio Thought a lot  Network with peers  Thinking  And found these Black Packaging straps  Coffee lids Coke lid Succession caps White Forks Soft drink lids Packaging straps

Another hot and glorious day today Starting the totem making and lining Working with the materials found Great to work with what you have and not what you can buy

A beautiful day in Footscray, further building my totems which I have lined with a different plastic lining each. Lots of people coming in the studio today!  Perhaps this is due to the article on Artsbox artist residency in the Star Weekly November 5, 2014 printed issue by Benjamin Millar and the lovely photo taken by photographer Joe Mastroianni as seen below. Read on:

Another Beautiful Day in #Footscray ! Enjoying the library for reference books Walking the streets for materials Building totems to connect old and new generations of the community living in Maribyrnong Black: Packaging Straps White: Packaging Straps T/A coffee cup lids Soft drink cups lids Bubble Wrap Food container lid  Lid Straws  Spoon Rope 

Had really lovely visitors today including Nick from Footscray West who talked to me about the old country- Italy....then an artist who 's work is in show at the Dax centre... Also a poet, Julian who is torn between his love of the word and the reality of working full time... Amazing to have the time to engage with people as normally in the solitude of my studio no one comes or is invited to come as making art take a lot of mind space and concentration to develop ideas, trying, failing, starting again, failing again, writing and failing. Therefor no one is actually welcome unless one is stuck so #artsboxmcc is a welcome change to explore further and further the market, the food, the area, the people, community and surroundings of #footscray, Today my pursuit was for large plastic sheets of #plastic wrapping/packaging material that I could possibly use to diffuse the light in my 'Monument to Footscray' or   totems structures. Happy to have found some and here they

Extending my area of searching for waste i n #Footsray on a hot spring day. I can across these items including a seringe and a rice bag. Black: Hanger Coffee lid White: Rice bag T/A Coffee lids Packaging straps Spoon Straws Pipe Seringe T/A Soft drink lid Bottle caps

Jackpot in Footscray I have found a large amount of take away coffee and of soft drinks lids as well as many straws These will be mounted on the monuments I am creating to be displayed the Library courtyard after my residency. The work will be seen at night through the openings onto the carpark. Black: Take away coffee lids White: Take away coffee lids take away soft drinks lids Straws

Another day looking for the unnoticed and planning how all of the found may work together as Black & white installations Black: Packaging strips  Shoe hill Hanging device Knife Bottle cap T/A Coffee cup lid White: Packaging strip Straws Fruit packaging Bottle cap Pipe

Gleaning around I was surprised to fiund unusual pieces of machinery laying around. I also enjoyed looking at #BabyGuerilla paste up artworks adorning Footscrays's many red brick walls Black: Rubber Straw Bits T/A Coffee lids Bottle cap Wire Packaging straps White: Coat hanger Packaging beans Bottle cap 

Today looking for the unnoticed. I walked in the very hot weather to pursue a little breeze... I looked around #Footscray the site along the river and visited the gallery precinct Black: Seal Straws Coffee lids Bits Hanging device Rubber White: Polystyrene bits Coffee lids Straws Fork Bottle lids Soft srinks T/A lids Bucket handle Jose Packaging strap Drink bottles  Drink cup Packaging

A very hot day to work in the studio I decide to drive around as the bitchumen   is hot under my shoes. I glean areas a bit further from the studio and I collect. I wash and display the found in my studio. I record the created collections of similar shapes and colour and start thinking of displaying the found in patterns... Although the amount and the found will dictate that... Am only the manual and word facilitator in this project.  Black: Electrical cord Hanger Plastic bits Strip  White:  Shopping  bag Locked up bag Bubble wrap Coffee lids Soft drink lids Straws  Electrical wire

To be allowed to have the time to glean, reflect and play with an idea and have access any time to your own laboratory/studio is a gift to any artist Thank you for people in communities forseeing this need and providing this privileged time to create in a little known area and away from artists lonesome studios. Discovering different areas, experiencing the local food, engaging with communities and being exposed to the public during the making of the artwork will greatly influence the work process and outcome of the work. Creating engagement, exchange and even collaboration with the local community is an unforgetable experience for the maker. Plastic harvest of the day: Black: Sunglasses lense Screws Market lid Take away coffee cup lids Cable ties Several broken debris- un-identifiable bits Electrical cord with a white plug Pop up lid Washer White: Polystyrene cup Forks Bread ties Fruit polystyrene single protective netting  Take away coffe

I am the recipient of a new artist in residence in Footscray! My studio for 5 weeks will be a 'Purple' shipping container. This laboratory is purposely refitted to suit artists basic requirements and will be situated in front of the the Footscray library. I am looking forward to glean and record society's trash in a suburb environment and create an installation during my residency. All welcome to visit, to have a chat, a coffee and collaborate in creating this large installation project (please email to make an appointment CarolynCardinet@gmail.com)

The Online Magazine for Collectors Art Collector CAROLYN CARDINET: MEME FAMILLE EXHIBITION THE BLACK SPILL Carolyn Cardinet, Collier Tribal II , 2014. Black plastics. Courtesy: the artist . Même Famille Black Spill exhibition was inspired and created around the black plastic debris found on our beaches. The exhibition is an exhibition of assemblages, paintings and prints of tribal necklaces made from the collected plastic waste, the remains of our current society. This installation project was made possible through the Korowa environmental team, staff and students whom collected society’s plastic waste from city streets, beaches and homes. Visitors to the gallery opening are invited to bring your black plastic pieces to add to the Black Spill installation. Exhibition opens: 6-8pm Tuesday 26 August 2014 Exhibition closes: 1 September 2014 Location: Gallery Ranfurlie , 10-16 Ranfurlie Crescent, Glen Iris VIC 3146 Contact: 0