CARY, Ill. (AP) - A native of Cary, Illinois, is taking used tires and other discarded objects to create unconventional sculptures.
Tani Ojeda, who works full-time as a chemical operator for csaid he came up with the idea about a year ago and has since been commissioned to make animal creations that include frogs, swans, a duck and an oversize crocodile.
“I feel like I’m helping the environment, because everyone is trying to find a way to get rid of these tires,” Ojeda, 44, told the Daily Herald. “I feel like I’m helping the community, and I’m helping make somebody else’s yard unique and different.”
Ojeda previously used other car parts to make things like coffee tables and nightstands but said they didn’t sell well.
Ojeda said the inspiration to make the tire sculptures was sparked after one of his dreams in which he had a conversation with his late mother-in-law.
“My mother-in-law was always big about her garden,” said Ojeda, adding that many of his colorful animal creations can also double as garden planters.
Barrington resident Jennifer Myers, who bought his first black swan tire sculpture, lauded Ojeda’s creativity.
“It’s a smart way to upcycle,” she said, adding that his unconventional use of tires reminded her of the late Chicago sculptor John Kearney, who used car bumpers to make animals.
But Ojeda’s work extends beyond the animal kingdom. Some of his best-selling pieces are palm trees made with motorcycle tires.
Despite people in Illinois being forced to quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic, Ojeda noted that his tire art is still in demand. He’s made hundreds of tire sculptures, and Ojeda said, adding that clients typically request more art from him after their purchase.
Myers said Ojeda’s animal creations represent a certain amount of kitsch fun.
“I may commission another piece,”she said. “I’d love to see if he could do something more truly abstract.”
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