Sculpture show proves trash can be beautiful

The Love London Green Festival might be long over, but the Recycled Sculpture Show that was one of the highlights continues on, now at the WWT London Wetland Centre.

Works by some two dozen artists are on display at the 42-hectare wildfowl reserve between now and next April. The 30 sculptures — all made principally from recycled materials and reflecting environmental issues — include swans made from umbrellas, crocodiles made from tyres, a bumblebee crafted with plastic bags, bicycle-part fish riding on bikes and insects made from woks.

Here’s a look at some of the unique creations on display:

Humpbacked ptero-duck-tyl

Created by artist Anthony Wilson with a wooden pallet, wind rack, lamp shades and hand-saws, this half-duck, half-pterodactyl is intended to pay homage to naturalist Charles Darwin.
Cave painting

This work by Jackson Iredale is made from a reclaimed wooden toilet seat, bedsprings, a table lamp and tin cans.

Hornbill

Artist Sandie Sutton created this bird sculpture using a pickaxe and tool handles, machine bed parts and car suspension springs, then placing the entire piece on a marble base.

Heron

Ptolemy Elrington made this sculpture to illustrate how useful objects can inadvertently enter the waste stream. The graceful bird was crafted from a shopping trolley that the artist found dumped into a canal.

Bumblebee

Artist Danny Manning created this sculpture from a combination of plastic bags and wire to highlight the plight of the honeybee, a vital pollinating insect that has been suffering from colony collapse disorder in various parts of the world.