‘Second Nature’ art exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo is ‘Junk Rethunk’

The junk in Philadelphia is so good, says artist Leo Sewell. That’s good for him, since he’s a self-proclaimed junk sculptor. He built and crafted a 175-pound rhinoceros from 250 silver plate serving trays and other dinnerware collected from curbs, junk sales, and scrap piles. The rhino’s part of the new “Second Nature: Junk Rethunk” exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo.

Sewell, whose work is in museum, corporate, and individual collections around the world, grew up near a dump in Annapolis, Maryland. He has played with junk for 50 years. He fell in love with found objects as a kid, he said, originally taking them apart to understand them. His parents told him he had to do more than that, so he started putting them together again, he said. “I call it art and keep playing with my junk.”

The small things we can do

Sewell and artists from around the globe created installations (some larger than life) that tell stories of endangered animals through the use of recycled, reduced, reused, repurposed, and renewed materials. The goal is to illuminate what small things humans can do to make a world of difference for endangered animals and habitats, according to zoo officials. The hope is that the exhibit will not only entertain, but also encourage all to have reducing, reusing, and recycling become ‘Second Nature.’

Focusing on the white rhino was an easy choice for Sewell. “It’s one of the most endangered species on Earth,” he said. His sculpture will bring light to the perils the animal faces: “He’s sitting [at the zoo] nice and proud and nobody’s going to cut his horns off.”

Sewell, of Philadelphia, has enjoyed making thousands of sculptures during his career. “It’s been a life’s work,” he said. “Each day it’s a joy to do it again.” And he’s happy to be included in the Zoo exhibit in his hometown.

Animals in Crayola and cardboard

Among Sewell’s and other creations, the exhibit includes a gorilla made from cardboard boxes; an arrangement of butterflies and flowers made of a car hood, tires, kitchen tools, a traffic signal, an HVAC duct, a car bumper, artificial turf, and a road plate; and two packs of Crayola crayons carefully carved into 48 endangered animals.

Barbara McGrath, the Zoo’s Art Director, said it has been “fabulously fun” putting the exhibit together, and the message is so important. She wanted to include international artists because the problems we face are global, she said. And through art, especially contemporary art, people can be encouraged to think about bigger issues. “That is what we have to do — we have to be thoughtful. We have to come up with new ideas. We have to apply our thinking in new ways.”

And though it wasn’t his original intention when he began making art, Sewell is happy he can lend his talent to the cause: “I wasn’t out to save the world, but I do agree the world’s worth saving.”

See “Second Nature: Junk Rethunk” April 11 through October 31 at the Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 West Girard Ave., Philadelphia. For more information, call 215-243-1100 or visit the exhibition online.

At right: Diem Chau's carved crayons for 'Second Nature.' Image courtesy of the Philadelphia Zoo.