Rachel Morris

6 - Concept: The Upcycle

The concept I use to depict my thesis is Upcycle, the continuous cradle-to-cradle process where one organism’s waste becomes the nutrients to create something else. Think of a forest floor; fruit falls off a tree, and a fox comes along to eat it. The fox’s waste becomes food for worms, fungi, and insects, compost is generated and feeds the forest flora, and the cycle restarts. This concept is a method we must revert to if we want to combat climate change and significantly reduce our waste. Let’s view mass constructed suburban houses as an ecosystem, like the forest floor.My Concept Model comprises upcycled demolition waste, an embroidery hoop, and reused wire mesh. Through peeling off the painted drywall paper, the drywall began cracking and warping, so I fixed it into a crescent shape within the hoop. I mounted the paint to the back of the embroidery hoop; when the sculpture hangs on a wall, it looks like a portal to the past. It celebrates the building's history while up-cycling "waste" into something sculptural and creative. Through upcycling, we redefine the value of waste.

“The endless process of cradle-to-cradle where one organism’s waste becomes the nutrients to create something else.”