Most of us try to hide our trash in a bin and forget about it. British sculptor Michelle Reader, however, does the opposite of what most of us do. Instead of ignoring the trash that humans and animals create, Reader uses it to make sculptures of sizeable humans and animals.

Reader looks for any scraps of human-made waste to produce her sculptures. However, instead of using common materials, she often builds portraits of individuals using their trash.

The Mirror of Consumption

Reader’s most famous work is her series of sculptures of seven men whose dimensions and features have been translated into sculptures. However, these men have been sculpted from household waste for several weeks.

For example, if the man in the sculpture drank a lot of bottled water, his torso may be out of plastic bottles. If he read a lot of newspapers, his skin could look like the paper. It’s a unique interpretation of their “production” but from the other end of the production cycle.

Nature Made of Tech

Another series of her sculptures includes animals. Her detailed animal sculptures use the same materials as her human sculptures. For example, one of her jaguars has its spots sculpted from old remote controls and its body from old satellite dishes. One of her bumblebees has its face out of a gas mask.

By using waste products from the environment to create animals, she shows the relationship among the environment, its technology, and the waste it produces.

A Playful Approach to Waste

Reader is also well known for her playful approach to her craft. Much of her work is meant to be interacted with by the audience. Some of her sculptures use parts of old clocks to create movement within a human or animal form.

In a world where humans produce mountains of trash, Reader sees the potential in these discarded objects to create art as massive as the living creatures that produce it. It’s a reminder that what many call “waste” is merely a lack of human imagination in utilizing these resources for other great endeavors.