Willie Cole: Artist turns ‘waste into beauty’ to highlight water issues

Melisa Rose Cooper , NJ Spotlight News, March 9, 2023

 

World-renowned artist and Newark native Willie Cole recently unveiled two of his larger-than-life sculptures that focus on water, specifically Newark’s issues with contaminated water. Cole used unlikely material in the artwork — empty water bottles.

 

“I’m turning waste into beauty, but in general waste is hiding the beauty,” Cole said. “When the ground is covered with garbage, you can’t see the grass or the flowers. And these bottles are everywhere.”

 

Two chandeliers created by Cole, ‘The Spirit Catcher” and “Lumen-less Lantern,” are on display at Express Newark, Rutgers University, where Cole is the current artist-in-residence.

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