Most people would consider hubcaps to be junk. The side of the road and numerous junkyards are littered with them. One man, however, found a brilliant way to use this « junk » and transform it into incredible works of art.
Ptolemy Elrington has collected thousands of lost hub caps from roadsides across Britain and turned them into spectacular animal sculptures worth up to £3,000.
Working full-time in his studio crafting shiny owls, dogs and sea creatures from all grades of hub cap – from BMW and Mercedes to Ford and Volvo, Ptolemy fixes the caps together using wire salvaged from scrap yards and cuts them with a craft knife and hacksaw. He says, « I like to work with reclaimed materials to show that what is one person’s junk is another man’s treasure. »
About the artist:
Ptolemy Elrington was born in 1965. Since studying to degree level in art and design he began working as a self-employed professional sculptor for fourteen years. He works in recycled materials with a regenerative eco aware theme inherent in his work. Clients in the last few years have included the R.S.P.B., The Environment Agency, Thames Barrier, Ronseal, Kenwood, Ecover and both Essex and Brighton County Council. His work has been shown in numerous venues in London and the surrounding area and has also travelled to exhibitions in Ireland, Greece and Spain. Forthcoming work includes a huge scrap metal statue promoting recycling for a project in Corby and numerous private commissions, as well as pursuing his own work. Ptolemy currently lives and works in Brighton.
Featuring: Hubcap creature
Where: Brighton, United Kingdom
When: 22 Aug 2014
Credit: WENN.com
