METAL RECYCLING
Scots mother is welded to the idea of cutting edge art
SCOTLAND’S fi rst waste business ‘Artist-in-Residence’ Susie Johnston, 46, has brought a whole new meaning to recycling scrap metal, writes SAMUEL McKEOWN.
Mum-of-two Susie, who works at Duncan of Jordonstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, has been working with waste management fi rm Binn Group in a unique collaboration to create inspirational gallery pieces using metalwork destined for the scrapheap.
In between looking after her children Angus, 12, and Lily, 10, and juggling full-time work as a teacher, Susie collaborated with the Binn Group as part of a ‘Culture Perth and Kinross Platform 2018’ festival – creating a project made up of scrap metal sculptures to display for the March event.
Disposable society where we just buy
She said: “For me, it’s become important to try and extract as much value from everything we come into contact with – because we do live in a ‘disposable society where we just buy, then use, and chuck out.
“There’s beauty in waste as well as an economy. All these objects have metaphorical layers of history and stories.”
As well as delivering an endless supply of scrap metal to help create artworks, Binn Group provided Susie with state-of-the-art welding tools, a generator and access to master welder, John Bates - who gave Susie a step-by-step guide on how to get to grips with the medium of welding.
Susie added: “I’ve now acquired the basic skillset of welding, tack welding, and spot welding, which took me a few weeks of induction at various institutions then I had on-site support from John when I needed it.
“Welding metal is a challenge, because it allows me to wrestle with materials that have a real power and physicality - but I like that.”
No-one wants their children to grow up in a world plagued by waste, so metal artist Susie’s main drive is to help raise awareness and reduce waste going to landfi ll.
She added: “Creating artwork out of waste becomes politically charged because it makes us more mindful of our actions and decisions; as ultimately waste matter has to go somewhere.
“For me, re-presenting new layers of meaning out of ‘end-user’ materials is very exciting. Waste has always been considered something representing closure, but for me it is often the beginning of a new journey.”
Susie, who is a bit of ‘culture vulture,’ has lived in many Scottish cities, London and spent several years in Sydney both studying and developing her practice as an artist, while offering advice to other artists looking for inspiration within the waste recycling sector.
Unique approach with waste
She concluded: “There is a huge potential to get creative and fi nd a unique approach with waste streams, as we as a population dispose of so much waste.”
It is hoped that Susie’s Binn Group-inspired metal works will now find permanent homes – either at the company’s Binn Ecopark at Glenfarg south of Perth, their city Shore Road premises, or in private ownership.
www.susiejohnston.co.uk 48 SHM May, 2018
www.skiphiremagazine.co.uk
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