Unusual Materials

Unusual Materials are two words that is becoming more and more prevalent these days. It seems like everyone is trying to go “green, “and finding new ways to reuse materials without leaving behind the innovative ideas. Everything from old tires to recycled metal is being used in unconventional ways to create new and exciting products.  While searching online, one can find endless example of recycled and reused materials that are being used in ways that wasn’t the intended to be used on the first place. Since people today have more and more things that are invented daily, things get used once and thrown out. But thanks to certain individual’s talents and interesting ideas the saying that are some people’s trash are now other people’s treasure is becoming true.

There is one individual that seems to stick out the most in the use of unusual materials.  His name is Benjamin Rollins Caldwell. He is tad eccentric to say the least.  His motto is re-think, re- purpose, re-invent. This is truly an understatement of his work.  Benjamin Rollins Caldwell uses the most unusual, weirdest materials in his works of art.  They are more than just pieces of furniture; they are truly works of art.  One of his creations is an interesting use of bicycle parts. It was a rocking chair and the parts you would expect him to use were nowhere to be found. The rocking chair was made out of recycled bicycle chains and recycled bicycle tires. Even though these may not seem like sturdy materials, they are supported by a 98% recycled steel frame. This chair’s base is made out of the bike tires and the sling that you sit is made up of the bicycle chain. Though these may seem impractical and uncomfortable but it makes a beautiful piece of art. These two materials, recycled bicycle tires and recycled bicycle chains, are even unusual to be unusual materials. The most common recycled materials are car tires and industrial chains. These materials have been evolved into many different things and hopefully through the visions of Benjamin Rollins Caldwell bicycle parts will be used more often.