3 Days 'Til the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day: 5 More Breathtaking Sustainable Artworks

Yesterday, we shared five incredible sustainable art pieces from living sculptures that float to real pieces of ice from the largest glacier in Iceland. If you missed those, check them out here. Sustainable art is a way for artists to use their talent to spread awareness. This form of creativity isn't a typical way to address the planet's environmental problems, which makes it a perfect lesson for you and your students to learn about entrepreneurial and design thinking! Here are five more breathtaking sustainable art pieces. 

"Vertical Green Garden" - Jeff Koons

source: https://ecofriend.org/6-pieces-of-sustainable-art-for-inspiration-and-awesomeness/

​Jeff Koons created a white terrier covered in flowers. The structure stands at 40-feet tall and is located at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Flowers may be small, but they're important for feeding insects, birds, and even us! In addition, they make the world a beautiful place!

Sustainable Environment Beach Sculpture Protest by the U.N.

source: https://ecofriend.org/6-pieces-of-sustainable-art-for-inspiration-and-awesomeness/

Everyone knows how harmful plastic bottles are to the environment. According to seasidescavenge.org, 20,000 water bottles are purchased every second, and this pattern continues to increase each year. The United Nations created this large fish sculpture out of plastic water bottles as a protest to the massive plastic problem that is taking over our oceans.

"Slow Slugs" - Florentijn Hofman

source: https://www.designboom.com/art/giant-slugs-made-from-40000-plastic-bags-by-florentijn-hofman/

Dutch artist, ​Florentijn Hofman, created these beautiful slug sculptures made out of 40,000 plastic bags that were knitted together. They stand at 18 x 7.5 x 5 meters tall and was placed in Angers, France for the Accroche-Cœurs festival. This piece addresses the problem of plastic bags, which actually take about 10-20 years to decompose. Learn more about the making of this piece here.

Recycled Wood Shavings - Henrique Oliveira

source: https://ecofriend.org/6-pieces-of-sustainable-art-for-inspiration-and-awesomeness/

Shavings from old construction plywood is usually thrown away, but Henrique Oliveira saw this as a chance to create art. He used brushes to create this three-dimensional sculpture made of plywood shavings. His work resembles large, twisted roots that make a massive statement in the room. It's stunning and mesmerizing and definitely a beautiful way to reuse old construction materials.

Dog Sculpture -  Nirit Levav ​

source: https://ecofriend.org/6-pieces-of-sustainable-art-for-inspiration-and-awesomeness/

Nirit Levav ​is an artist and fashion designer from Israel. She collects junk (often made of metal) and turns them into beautiful, life-sized dog sculptures. Many of them are made of old bicycle chains, like the one pictured here, which she collects from motor garages and bike shops. She proves that you can create art out of anything!