Frankly I'm growing weary of recycled art, even if I do admire the underlying environmental consciousness. It's not a new thing; it's as old as Picasso and Duchamp. And most of it is cute or clever at best. There are exceptions, notably some of the artists represented by Matter in Olympia. But recycled art has been overhyped almost as much as Dale Chihuly.

A mediocre model of a house or portrait of a person or animal is no less mediocre just because it's made from cast-off materials.

So I applaud the exceptions to the run-of-the-mill such as Barbara De Pirro, whose art from recycled materials would be intriguing no matter what it was made of.

Read my full review here.

[Spaceworks Tacoma, vortex plastica , Barbara De Pirro and Re-Present, Holly Senn, 24/7, through Jan. 5, 912 Broadway, Tacoma, spaceworkstacoma.wordpress.com]