When he was a young child, Australian artist John Piccoli suffered from polio, a debilitating disease that robbed him of the use of his legs and left him dependent on a wheelchair to get around. But despite that early setback, John went on to become one of the most amazing recyclers in the history of Australia. We’re not talking about simply remembering to put your newspapers in a blue bin or drop your glass bottles off at the supermarket. John takes it much further: he’s an artist who uses rusted, discarded wrenches to make incredible sculptures.
The results have to be seen to be believed. John starts with a massive pile of bent, broken and discarded old wrenches that would otherwise have gone to landfill or been melted down:
This is John and his wife in his workshop:
And this is some of amazing garden furniture he makes:
He also makes amazing garden sculptures just like this:
(She isn’t a sculpture. She’s his wife. But you get the idea)
Despite his advancing years, he’s still accepting commissions and making new sculptures:<
He still makes garden furniture too, like this incredible bird bath:
But that’s not all. John’s work is regularly featured in Australian museums, exhibition centres and more.
…and with talent like his, you can see why. Check out this huge, amazing swordfish!
This life like sculpture shows a fisherman catching a fish in his net.
Here’s a sculpture of a cowboy on horseback waving his hat in the air.
John clearly likes horses. Here’s another sculpture of a horse and cart.
Even more horses! This time, it’s two wild mustangs fighting – presumably over some mares.
This Little Mermaid wants to be part of your world.
Any garden would look stunning with this amazing stag, deer and fawn sculpture.
…and finally, this gorgeous love seat is destined to bring you and your partner together.
It’s incredible to think that all of these creations were made by just one man. What’s more, the fact that John is unable to stand up to put the finishing touches to these statues makes them even more challenging. He puts the finishing touches to sections up close before winching them into place with a small crane.
Share this post if you’ve been inspired by John’s amazing skill.
(All images via the Reuse People of America).
