Indian artist creates recycled tiger for CNN

Story Highlights

Going Green is CNN’s week of special environmental coverage

Indian artist Suryakant Lokhande created a work of art using recycled rubbish

Highlighting need for creative solutions and that recycling can be beautiful

The story

In a unique off-air initiative to highlight its week of special environmental programming, CNN has invited well-known contemporary Indian artist Suryakant Lokhande to create a work of art using recycled rubbish. He created a life-size sculpture of a tiger and a short film documenting the making of the piece is streamed online at CNN’s Going Green: Search for Solutions.

The work of art is on public show at the Institute of Contemporary Indian Art in Mumbai, from June 30 to July 10. The exhibition then moves to Hong Kong. The initiative is designed to artistically reinforce the need for creative solutions to environmental problems and to drive the message “Recycling is a Beautiful Thing.”

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/02/green.promo/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Suryakant Lokhande makes sculpture for CNN

Together let us try to make a better place for you and for me….

We see the threat to the environment and dwindling species as a result of urbanisation and industrialisation. The amount of waste we produce everyday in the form of paper, plastic, glass, aluminium containers is much needed to be taken care of. The Tiger is very precious as far as nature’s survival is concerned. I have selected the Tiger as the animal being the vital species, as it indicates the health of the forest which provides us fresh air, balances our ecosystem and maintains the climate. If the Tiger dies we shall also soon be extinct.

The drive to promote a balance between industry and art to change the logic of marketing into an artistic practice and to open up a commercial dialogue for Utopia is my motive behind using recycled materials. Plastic generally implies a way of thinking in which all things are disposable, however, it features in the majority of our highly priced possessions. In my visualisation I have put forward two main issues regarding the status of Tigers remaining today and the giant named trash we produce everyday. Together I have transformed this into an art form. For the last 10-15 years I have been using industrial materials such as metal panels, hi gloss industrial paints and other unconventional art materials. So making a trash Tiger is just an extension of my imagination. In this CNN have given me an opportunity to create awareness through my art work. I would like to convey my thanks to CNN and my team for the wonderful co-operation I have received.

http://www.theartstrust.com/article_July08_Suryakant_Lokhande.aspx
http://bigcatrescue.org