I live with these guys. They’re artists. Each has his hand in a few different mediums, but both are working toward a common goal: the pursuit of art. Art for the sake of art kind of art. Appreciate beauty in misunderstood places kind of art. Take a piece of rubbish and turn it into the ‘ish kind of art. Yeah, that just happened.

Cue the Re:Create: the Art of Upcycle show this past Saturday at The Roosevelt in Ybor.

These guys, Efren Rebugio Jr. and Isaiah Perkins, had pieces in the show. Efren’s newest installment included pieces of broken and unused pieces of skateboard decks. His start-up clothing line, Seren, sponsors skateboarders, and the kids gave him a couple of trashed decks to do what he wanted with. “[Re:Create] is all about taking something that would otherwise be discarded and turning it into art.” Efren really expresses his art from the inside out. I know, I know, everyone says that about her or his art, but seeing someone tap into something is different than hearing it through the grapevine. Efren will sit and stare at an unused surface for a good half-hour before even touching a pencil to it. He really has to feel it and allow for it to seep out of his pores. He finds his art…usually to the sound of Dave Matthews or Bootleg.

This article appears in Feb 3-9, 2010.