Artist Spotlight: Garrett Skupinski
Every month, we highlight one of the amazing artists in our reuse community.
This month, ACR has the privilege of spotlighting Garrett Skupinski, a multidisciplinary artist who uses reused and recycled materials in their work.
Having found a passion for incorporating reuse materials into their work through a Danish land art competition, Garrett has gone on to explore various mediums through the lens of creative reuse. They have been an active part of the ACR community for years, having designed pieces for several Reuse on the Runway shows, showcasing their unique artistic voice through innovative clothing designs.
If you’re fascinated by their responses to the following questions (as we think you will be!), stop by our upcoming Holiday Reuse Art Market where they will have upcycled knotted yarn key chains, earrings, and hope weavings available for sale. Check out their booth on Saturday, December 6 from 11AM-4PM!
Learn more about Garrett and how using reuse materials informs their creative practice in this interview!
When did you become an artist, and how did you start making art using recycled materials?
Around 18 years old, I started in floral design competitions, but it wasn’t till a few years later that I started exploring with different mediums. My use of recycled materials started when I was invited to a land art competition in Denmark, where you are scored on your use of foraged materials and minimal use of man-made materials. During this competition, I was introduced to a Swedish designer who utilizes upcycled materials with natural botanicals, and I was hooked from that point on, always looking for ways to incorporate reused elements in my designs.
Do you have other creative hobbies?
One of my creative hobbies is my podcast Creatively Musing, where I chat with fellow artists and creatives about everything creative. I’ve recently fallen in love with creating jewelry with beads I find at ACR and giving them as gifts to friends.
Which aspect of creating is your favorite?
My favorite aspect of creating would either be the sourcing of materials or the assembly of each design. I try not to overplan my pieces so that I can manipulate and play with the materials to find a good composition throughout the process.
Where do you get your inspiration?
A lot of my inspiration comes from my friends who are also artists across different disciplines, and some inspiration by following textile artists on Instagram.
How does reuse play a part in your creativity?
Every piece I make has an element of reuse, as I like to play with the reuse of man-made materials contrasting with natural materials. Recently, I’ve been into manipulating plastics and acrylics in combination with branches and reused yarns.
Do you ever donate materials to ACR? If so, what compels you to donate?
I’ve donated materials a few times to ACR, especially if I’ve finished a design and I have leftover materials. Sometimes, if I start to feel like I’m hoarding too many materials, I try and organize what I have to keep what I need for projects I’m working on, and then a pile of extra materials I don’t see myself using in the near future goes into the donation pile.
Do you have a favorite ACR find? How did you use it?
ACR always has treasures when I visit, but I once found a full bolt of beautiful soft tartan fabric that ended up introducing me to the Reuse on the Runway fashion show, where I created a hoodie dress that was then covered in knot work utilizing roping I had also found at ACR.
Where can we find out more about your work?
Creativelymusing.com or Instagram are the best places to find out more about my work.