Using art to improve resource recovery at Kimbriki Art Catalogue

The EcoForum art exhibition sponsored by Kimbriki Recycling and Waste Disposal Centre in Sydney has involved students from three tertiary educational institutions: visual artists from the School of Art, Australian National University, and the Sydney Gallery School, Northern
Sydney Institute; and graphic designers from Graphic Design, University of Canberra.

The visual artists were briefed by Kimbriki staff on the Centre’s recycling issues and on several occasions explored the reservoir of materials on-site both for inspiration and for prospective media in the development of fine artwork that would address the broad environmental theme of reuse and recycling.

The graphic designers were also briefed by Kimbriki staff but on this occasion in their class studio at the University of Canberra. Their task was more defined and, as with the fine artists, their creative output also met curriculum requirements. The designers were asked to develop a display typeface and to use it to convey a ‘Kimbriki’ environmental message (such as ‘sort your load’ or ‘reuse materials’) as part of a graphic poster, postcard and bumper sticker.

The art exhibition at EcoForum presents the results of this engagement procedure. Students are also joined by their supervising staff and visiting artists attached to the various institutions.

In addition to making expertise and materials available to participating artists, the Kimbriki Centre has generously contributed to costs associated with the production of the artwork. This support is predicated on the proposition that artists and designers can make a significant contribution to raising community awareness in relation to environmental issues. Visual aesthetic communication has a role to play among the many strategies available to accelerate desirable behavioural change. This collaboration between student artists and the Kimbriki
Centre is the first phase in a longer term undertaking to provide innovative opportunities for artists and to assist the Kimbriki Centre to raise its recycling rates.

Complementing the art exhibition at EcoForum is a presentation entitled ‘The Role of Art in Encouraging Behavioural Change’ to be followed by a workshop, ‘Engaging Visions’, which will investigate in more detail procedures for artist engagement with communities to achieve environmental objectives.

Many of the artists involved will attend the exhibition during afternoon teas and the happy hours to discuss their work with conference delegates. The following artists are represented in the exhibition.

Robyn Banks, Julie Bradley, Judy Greenfield, Judith Fuller, Megan Hales, John Mills, Vedanta Nicholson, Dorothy Noble, John Reid, Dean Sewell, Rosina Wainright, Marzena Wasikowska        

Sydney Gallery School, Northern Sydney Institute

Rod Armstrong, Moshe Atar, Brett Atkinson, Emma Arnel, Kylie Bowles, Cathy Clapham, Liam Crowley, Kate Deacock, Michaela Gleave, Jane Lush, Maria Kim, Lena Obergfell, Annette Simpson, Cate Valpiani, Alex White, Michael Yates

Graphic Design, University of Canberra

Darko Andreski, Ronald Asumadu, Louise Brooks, Nikki Campbell, Nausica Garcia, Erin Greenwood, Gemma Kelly, Danny Norton, Lisa Quinn, Nigel Rixon, Asha Tsmeris