People We Meet: An artist transforms S.F.'s trash into art

"That is, until she noticed the birds thriving in the urban environment, building their nests with whatever they could forage from the city streets. Hope, a former park ranger, took a note from the birds. She began collecting salvaged materials - things like yarn, wood and industrial acrylic paint that she found in scrapyards - and transforming the discarded items into art."

"She spent four months making art in a studio at the S.F. Recology grounds, working with materials sourced from the public dump. Going through the dump yielded some interesting salvage: A usable drum set, a perfectly intact stand-up mixer, and a full set of scuba gear were among Hope's discoveries. Sometimes, Hope said, "somebody's whole house is dumped after an estate sale.""

Laurel Roth Hope moved from rural Sonoma County to San Francisco and initially felt disoriented by urban noise and concrete. She noticed birds thriving by foraging city materials and began collecting salvaged items such as yarn, wood and industrial acrylic paint for artwork. As one of six Recology Artists in Residence she spent four months making art in a studio on S.F. Recology grounds using materials from the public dump. Salvaged finds included a drum set, stand-up mixer and scuba gear, alongside personal items like a decorated veteran's death certificate. Resident artists worked amid trucks, hazmat suits and the crushing of remaining items. Her Mission home repurposes a downed oak into cabinets.

Read at Mission Local