>> HI, I'M GABRIEL AND I'M AN UPCYCLE ARTIST.
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PRETTY ARTISTIC BUT I GUESS THE JOURNEY
THAT STARTED ME DOWN THE UPCYCLING PATH STARTED IN 9th
GRADE. MY FIRST PIECE WAS CALLED A
MARIANA DONKEY. IT STARTED WITH A COMPETITION IN
MY CLASSROOM. MY TEACHER WROTE UP A LIST OF
DIFFERENT THINGS I COULD EXPLORE.
IT WAS KIND OF OPEN. ONE OF THOSE THINGS WAS JUNK
ART. THAT INTRIGUED ME AND I DID SOME
RESEARCH AND CREATED A PIECE USING RECYCLED OR UPCYCLED PARTS
FROM MY GARAGE. I WAS REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT
WERE THE SCRAPS OR THINGS THAT WERE SITTING AROUND THAT I COULD
REPURPOSE, TAKE APART. THAT REALLY INVOLVED ME TAKING
WIRE APART, FINDING REALLY UNIQUE PIPE FITTING MATERIALS
AND SO FORTH. I ENDED UP WINNING FIRST PLACE
IN A COMPETITION, AND SO THAT CERTAINLY HELPED TO PAVE THE
ROAD TOWARDS THE WORK THAT I DO NOW.
>> FOR ME, UPCYCLING REALLY IS AROUND THIS IDEA OF REIMAGINING
THINGS AS THEY WERE MAYBE IN THEIR ORIGINAL PURPOSE OR DESIGN
AND REIMAGINING THOSE OR REASSEMBLING THOSE INTO
SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THE CREATIVE PROCESS FOR ME
REALLY STARTS A COUPLE DIFFERENT
WAYS. IT COULD START WITH ME TAKING
APART OR DISASSEMBLING A PIECE AND I GET INSPIRATION THAT FROM.
THERE MIGHT BE SUBTLE OBJECTS THAT QUEUE UP IDEAS, THOUGHTS,
MAY HAVE THE SILHOUETTE OF A PARTICULAR ANIMAL OR BE A FOCAL
POINT THAT THEN ALLOWS ME TO EXPLORE FURTHER AND TAKE THAT
FURTHER. A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE
REARING HORSE SCULPTURE. THAT REALLY STARTED WITH ME
TAKING PART AN ADDING MACHINE, AND FROM THE COMPONENTS THERE,
THEY REALLY RESEMBLED THE BASIS OF A HEAD OF A HORSE, AND SO
THAT'S REALLY WHAT STARTED IT. IT STARTED WITH THAT EXERCISE,
AND THEN GREW TO A FULL-LENGTH SIX-FOOT REARING HORSE.
PART OF WHAT MAKES THIS FUN AND SO INTRIGUING TO ME IS AROUND
THE HUNT. ONE OF THE WAYS I FIND MATERIAL
IS BY GOING TO LIKE FLEA MARKETS OR ANTIQUE STORES, AS I JUST
KIND OF PERUSE THAT STUFF, THAT JUNK, THE THROWAWAY THINGS, IT
SPARKS INTERESTING IDEAS OR THINGS THAT MAY COME INTO MY
MIND. SO THE LOUIE VAW TUCSON SERIES
HAD AN INTERESTING GENESIS OR STARTING POINT.
I STOPPED AT THIS RESALE SHOP AND CAME UPON THIS BIG STACK OF
LOUIE VITON LUGGAGE. I WAS LIKE, MAYBE THERE IS
SOMETHING HERE. I COULD MAYBE EXPLORE SOMETHING
HERE. WALKED OUT OF THERE WITH ONE OF
THE PIECES. AND WITHIN THAT PROCESS OF ME
DISASSEMBLING IT, REIMAGINING IT AND ACTUALLY START TO BUILD OUT
A PIECE, THERE WAS DEFINITELY SOME ENERGY AROUND THIS
PARTICULAR APPROACH, AND SO THEN QUICKLY CALLED THAT CONSIGNMENT
SHOP BACK UP AND BOUGHT THE REST OF THEM.
ANOTHER APPROACH THAT I USE IN MY CREATIVE PROCESS IS THIS PLAY
OFF OF COLORS OR MASHUPS OF INTERESTING IDEAS.
YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF THAT PLAY OUT WITHIN MY "STAR WARS" SERIES
AND EVOLVING THAT AND PUSHING THE LIMITS AND BOUNDARIES ON
THAT. SO I CONTINUE TO TRY TO PUSH
MYSELF AND EXPLORE DIFFERENT IDEAS, DIFFERENT THOUGHTS,
DIFFERENT APPROACHES.
>> ONE OF THE SERIES THAT I HAVE A LOT OF PASSION AROUND IS THE
SNEAKER SERIES. I'M A HUGE SNEAKER-HEAD.
I HAVE HUNDREDS OF PAIRS OF SHOES AND LOVE THE ENERGY AROUND
THAT. WHAT I LOVE TO DO WITH THIS
PARTICULAR SERIES IS REIMAGINE THOSE SNEAKERS IN KIND OF A
DIGITAL WORLD OR PIXILATED. USUALLY THAT PROCESS STARTS OUT
WITH ME DRAWING OUT THE DESIGN OF THAT AND HOW THAT WOULD LOOK
IN MORE OF A DIGITAL WORLD, AND THEN START TO BUILD THAT USING
CIRCUIT BOARDS, USUALLY START WITH A COLOR PALETTE ALSO IN
THAT PROCESS. MY WORK STRETCHES PAST JUST THE
ACTUAL PROCESS AND THE ULTIMATELY CREATING OF THE PIECE
AND FINISHING IT. I REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT IS
THAT EXPERIENCE WHEN SOMEONE GETS ONE OF MY PIECES DELIVERED
TO THEM. SO PART OF THAT PROCESS OVER THE
LAST COUPLE YEARS I'VE STARTED TO LOOK AT WHAT DOES THAT
UNBOXING LOOK LIKE, AND SO ALL MY PIECES NOW COME IN A NICE
ALUMINUM BOX WITH SOME OF MY LOGO ON IT AND USUALLY SOME
GRAFFITI. CERTAINLY THINK THAT THAT IS
PART OF THE WHOLE PACKAGE OF THE EXPERIENCE WHEN PURCHASING ONE
OF MY PIECES.
A DRIVING FORCE WITHIN MY APPROACH AND THE MATERIALS I USE
IS THIS IDEA AROUND E WASTE. ONE OF THE MISSIONS I HAVE IS TO
HELP CREATE SOME DIALOGUE AROUND THAT AND THAT HOPEFULLY MY WORK
AND MY CREATIVE PROCESS HELPS TO INFLUENCE OTHERS AROUND THIS
IDEA, AROUND FINDING CREATIVE WAYS ON ADDRESSING E WASTE.
THIS STUFF DOESN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO END UP IN A LANDFILL.
IT CAN BE REPURPOSED, REUSED, REIMAGINED INTO SOMETHING
DIFFERENT.