Statement brooch made with repurposed waste Foamex signage board printed with blue disperse dye. Waste plastic (HDPE) rim and sprung steel pin.
For ‘From Our Own Correspondent’ Bronwen chose to work with waste foamex, a type of expanded pvc sheet material used extensively in temporary signage that is not widely recycled. She used disperse dyes to transfer the beautiful detailed textures of the embroidered linen donated by Liz Willis onto the plastic. The pieces are finished with a rim of brightly coloured hdpe (packaging waste) and cordage made from twisted embroidery threads inherited from her Aunty Betty.
Materials: Waste Foamex signage board, disperse dye, waste plastic (HDPE) and sprung steel.
Dimensions: 69 x 91 x 7 mm.
For Bronwen Gwillim, using materials that are considered waste helps alleviate the worry that many makers share, that is, in a world full to the brim of stuff, how can I justify making more?” Over her career she has explored using broken glass from greenhouses, scrap metal, old clothes and most recently plastic that she collects from the beaches where she lives in Pembrokeshire. For her the material always comes first and the more troublesome it is the better! Bronwen makes jewellery, painting and sculpture but likes to call herself a plasticsmith (referencing her training as a silversmith). Knowing about the very different types of plastic, how to identify them and work with them safely has become, for her, a way of reframing waste as a valuable resource for making and she enjoys teaching others what she’s learned.