Artwork copyright Marita Dingus. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2014.

Artwork copyright Marita Dingus. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2009.

Artwork copyright Marita Dingus. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2009 (detail).

Artwork copyright Marita Dingus. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2013 (detail).

Artwork copyright Marita Dingus. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2013 (detail).

Artwork copyright Marita Dingus. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2014 (detail).

Artwork copyright Marita Dingus. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2019.

Artwork copyright Marita Dingus. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2009.

Recycled Child, 2009

Marita Dingus
(American, born 1956)

Location: Seattle Central College, Seattle

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Marita Dingus' "Recycled Child" is made from a combination of hand-painted elements and scrap computer parts. The artist worked with Seattle Central College staff to assemble many of the materials for the sculpture and gather computer parts from the Information Technology department, which is located in the same building. Dingus states that the artwork is "a metaphor for the latent potential inside of ethnic minorities who are often discarded and undervalued."

Check out the grades 6-8 lesson plan for this artwork, linked as a PDF under "Lesson Plans and Documents".

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Seattle Central Community College.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Northwest artist Marita Dingus is an African American feminist and environmental artist. She is a mixed media sculptor who uses discarded and recycled materials. In her own words, “My approach to producing art is environmentally and politically infused: neither waste humanity nor the gifts of nature . . . The discarded materials represent how people of African descent were used during the institution of slavery and colonialism then discarded, but who found ways to repurpose themselves and thrive in a hostile world.”

Dingus received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and both a Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts from San Jose State University in California. She grew up in Auburn, Western Washington, and still lives and works there. She received the 2018 Twining Humber Award for lifetime artistic achievement.