Transfer station home to works of art

DO you think you could make works of art out of used sinks, clothes dryer drums, mattress springs or roofing?

That’s exactly what local sculptor Andre Sardone has done for five new pieces recently installed at the Strathfieldsaye Transfer Station.

Marking the entryway to the site is the giant Sinkosphere, a two-metre installation made entirely out of sinks, while inside visitors will find the Mechanical Magpie born out of old bike parts, two Shimmering Walls pieces featuring cascading, reflective circles hand carved from dryer drums, and a giant recycling symbol made using roof sheets and downpipes.

Sardone said the transfer station was a regular spot to find materials for his sculptures and he hoped the installations would prompt more conversation about bringing new life to old possessions.

“The landfill in Eaglehawk is nearing capacity and it’s a real problem for us in Bendigo and the world,” he said.

“We need to become creative with ways to deal with our waste better and to reuse and recycle as much as we can to protect the planet.

“I think it’s really cool making sculptures out of what people would normally have thrown away, keeping it out of landfill and creating something interesting.”

The Sinkosphere alone took 10 days of work, with a City of Greater Bendigo grant awarded for Sardone’s time on the five sculptures. He said the series’ most “unusual” piece had already gained plenty of traction.

“A lot of my artwork is rounded and I thought Sinkosphere would be a good challenge for myself. I’d never seen anything like it before, so I thought I’d give it a go,” he said.

“It was harder than I thought but it has gotten a bigger response than almost anything I’ve ever made. It’s very unusual to see something made out of kitchen sinks.”

The sculptures will live permanently at the transfer station, and Sardone said plans are already in place to make more statement pieces from recycled materials.