Artist Wastes No Time Celebrating University's 21th Anniversary
10 June 2013
The completed 21st birthday installation.
The installation reflects the sustainable development of the University and its eco-friendly approach to maintaining the physical environment over the course of the last 21 years.
”Del Coombs, Resident Artist at the University of Derby.
A University of Derby cleaner turned artist recently transformed corporate waste into a giant sustainable 'birthday cake', as part of the institutions 21st birthday celebrations.
Del Coombs, 67, created the birthday sculpture at the University's Kedleston Road site in the lower Atrium using modular blocks of polystyrene waste from old computer hardware packing to recreate the main University site.
The three hour artistic process was captured by Steve Taylor, a Faculty Manager at the University, who used a high-definition video camera to create a stop frame animation of Del's work.
Del said: "The installation reflects the sustainable development of the University and its eco-friendly approach to maintaining the physical environment over the course of the last 21 years.
"The project has also allowed me to continue to explore the themes of obsession and repetition in a way which engages people, and uses waste creatively to provoke thought."
Del also supported Derby's 'Go Green Week' in February (2013), where the equivalent waste materials from a day across the Kedleston Road site were used for a display in the Atrium.
For more information about the work the University does to reduce its impact on the environment - including details of its Carbon Management Programme, aiming to deliver a 27% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 - can be found on its website www.derby.ac.uk/estatemanagement/environmental-services
