World Environment Day - Rejuvenate! part 1 of 2

>> NARRATOR: Every year in Canterbury, 329,000 tonnes of rubbish gets dumped into landfills. That's 622 kilos per person, each year To highlight this issue, we approached 10 emerging artists from around the Canterbury area and asked them to take up a challenge and that challenge was to create an artwork out of rubbish, recyclables, discarded items, and junk. To judge the works, we enlisted the help of New Zealand artist and tutor, Tony Bond. >> TONY BOND: To me it's kind of a natural thing to use what's available and if you don't, you know, there's so much stuff around to use and I never really saw anything as junk. These are your tables, and I'd like you all to get to it. >> NARRATOR: Each artist was given their own box of specific items to work with. However, they were not limited to just these items. There were all sorts of materials to choose from. Access to tools and a time limit of 6 hours to complete their work. >> TONY CRIBB: This is good. I've got lots of good stuff here to use. But I do have a secret weapon and it'll bring everything together quite nicely, I think. I'm on to something. >> BOND: When they first approached their tables, some probably weren't as happy as others. Because they saw things they which they thought they could create something quite interesting with. There were a couple who were probably hoping to get a different table. >> CHESLEA BOSS: It was pretty scarey really when everyone ran to the materials and coming up with an idea so quickly. >> DOUG MARQUET: I was shaking when I first started because I couldn't figure out what to do and then when I saw Tony actually activate the sewing machine, and I found this neoprene. I thought, that's it. So it was a huge help. >> ASHA ST CLAIR: I'm just doing some test-piece things at the moment just to see what I can do with the materials I've got. I've got a basic idea in mind, but it may change over time. >> BOND: It'll be interesting to see what they turn up with. Some have a concept that they're working towards. They maybe picked up on the environmental aspect and so they're working to that.. Again, others have just taken a more playful approach. >> CRIBB: [dalek-voice]Exterminate! Exterminate![/dalek-voice] >> HANNAH RILEY: I'm holding together. My work isn't yet! >> ANDREW DUNN: Well, this is an information super-highway, technological super-highway. Which is jammed-full with lots of information and I think that technology could be a big help in environmental problems. But at the moment it's not touching the ground much. >> TAMARA KEEPA-MURRAY: I was excited with what I got and excited to try to see what we could put together. But I still don't have an idea. I'm just having a play-around. >> BOND: It's a new experience, I would say, for all of them I've never, even done this, had to create a work on a day. You know, and then have it judged. >> CRIBB: I actually do have a plan, which is a little bit unnerving, since I don't normally have plans. So, I thought I'd just start rolling up a giant ball of gunk and we'll just see what happens at the end of it. It'll be good to sit on, at the very least. >> KIRI TE WAKE: I tried to react to what I was given initially. Which were all the keys, and all the keys had the little blue tag and the blue tags reminded me of the blue chips and I started thinking about keys to success and what we equate with success. >> GREGORY YEE: I'm going to make a lampshade if possible out of this recycled e-material. I'm not sure how the light's going to shine through, though. >> CRIBB: I think my piece is going to end up taking the shape and form of kind of like an organic trash-heap. It will just grow and expand and probably world-domination is on the cards. >> SAM MCCLOY: I ride a bicycle a lot so therefore I like bikes. No CO 2 except for what comes out of me and I'm just wanting to show that and to try to push more people to get on bikes and to try to get out of cars.