Hello E-junkies, pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm an artist based in Los Angeles. I've been developing a sculpture series in the form of traditional chandeliers made from recycled bike parts for the last three years.

Your artwork is spectacular! How did this creative idea of recycling bicycle parts into chandeliers strike to you? 

I had the idea long before I was actually able to make a proper chandelier. In 2004 I lived in a warehouse fashioned as a home. Everything was makeshift - the bedrooms, the bathroom, the living room, and our kitchen was no different. In it we hung our pots and pans from a bike rim, a punk house staple. Sitting in that kitchen one day I thought: "a bike chandelier would be amazing!" and so I made something that resembled more of a mobile. It wasn't until 2007 that I got around to making a proper chandelier.

 






























































How many hours does it take you to complete 1 chandelier?

It depends. I just recently settled down in LA and found myself a little corner in a downtown warehouse where I can spread out. For the last 3 years I've been living out a suitcase and working in makeshift ateliers, i.e. friends garages, living rooms, under the stairs! Having a permanent studio with work stations and all the necessary tools in their place really expedites the process as I've been finding out. A large chandelier would take about 100 hrs whereas now it takes a third less time.




























What is the process your creations go through?

This series has been a fruitful and tumultuous relationship. I imagine many artists feel this way about their medium, somehow, over time, my medium, bike parts, reveal their personality and I've come to develop a very intimate relationship with the nature of each bike part. Take bike chain for example, I find so fascinating and complex in its simplicity and layered in metaphor. I respect it as an ingenious invention (as are rims and cassettes) and for showing me how fluid it is one direction and completely rigid in another and I've had to learn to work within its own limitations. My creations are half deliberate and half chance. I improvise as I go and explore the possibilities that the material and form can produce. I look for balance, harmony, proportion, contrast, variety.



























What is the most challenging task of all the tasks involved in this whole process?

Its a long and arduous process to create a chandelier. From gathering the material to cleaning it by hand to simulating perfection out of an imperfect material. People have to understand these weren't meant for this and yet at the end, somehow each component falls into place. Its amazing how sometimes it feels like it was just meant to be.

What inspires the artist within you?

Finding beauty in unlikely places.

Share the best compliment you have ever received for your artwork.

Folks have been very generous with their praise. I don't do very well with compliments. I appreciate that people like what I've made.

So, what's next now? Are you going to use some other products to recycle besides bicycle parts?

Yes! I thrive on using what is already here and there's so much of it! And that's not a good thing but at least I can prevent things from just ending up in the dump.

I am sure there must be so many fans of yours out there(including me). What message do you have for them?

Live simply. You can do it yourself. Connect with each other, it's important to build community. We're gonna need it.


















































Carolina, thanks for this wonderful interview. Your artwork is stupendous and I am sure you've a long way to go as a great artist. Good luck!

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