Everyday, millions of coffee stirrers are thrown away. Sculptor Jonathan Brilliant has found use for these morning coffee residues by incorporating them into his large, swirling installation. Collecting these coffee stirrers, Brilliant has created a galaxy-like sculpture that references musical rhythms and Andy Goldsworthy, an artist who is known for taking items from his natural surroundings and building site specific installations. In his sculptures, rows and rows of sticks (sometimes as many as 40,000) invade staircases and ceilings throughout his installations. The effect likens itself to looking inside a grand piano when notes by Mozart or Beethoven are being played, with dozens of sound waves spiraling off each other. This incorporating of music is inspired by the artist’s own music background- being a drummer as well. The distinct tempos and repetitions are key elements in the structure of his artwork. Brilliant stands as an emerging environmental artist, adopting found organic materials to create magnificent forms, imbuing the used materials with a new life and purpose . 

As mentioned in the Artist’s statement, “Central to all my work is an interest in patterning and mark-making fused with the use of pre- and post-consumer manufactured materials and the use of  rhythm and repetition to create installations, objects, and works on paper. Running through my work is a real enthusiasm for the inherent qualities of a material and the extent to which I can exploit it for making art.” 

Learn more about Jonathan Brilliant and his sculptures here. 

via beautiful decay