Mbongeni Buthelezii is a 55-year old South-African artist who uses recycled plastic paint instead of traditional art materials to make his paintings. I came across a mention of this artist while I was researching on my presentation for the African-American artist Mickalene Thomas and wanted to look more into his work. Buthelezii’s idea of using what you have available to you to create art is very similar to the operating principle behind Thomas’s idea of using what she had at her disposal- rhinestones and scraps of paper- when she was growing up with limited financial resources.
Buthelezii melts plastic bags using a heat gun on a blank canvas to create his art. He refers to his art as ‘Plastic Fantastic’. The video linked below gives an overview of the painting technique. It’s interesting to see how the use of this unique material adds elements of texture and color combinations to his work that makes it original and beautiful. The melted plastic forms mixtures on the canvas that make it abstract but still contribute to the overall painting looking defined. Buthelezii’s aim is to show that art can be made using anything. Expensive materials are not required to produce something mesmerizing. He is a recycling enthusiast, and using plastic paint serves as a sign to reduce plastic waste in Johannesburg. He roams the streets picking up plastic waste and creates it into masterpieces. Buthelezii says that it is unfortunate that he has not run out of materials available in Johannesburg, and while he continues to pioneer the concept of plastic paint, his underlying hope is to revolutionize the sustainability of his hometown.
