Creating art from discarded waste

The Costa del Sol has numerous spaces decorated with the colourful work of local and foreign artists, mostly located in the town centres and areas that have been renovated. However, a Canadian artist living in Torremolinos who uses waste material to create his work has installed his latest piece, a mosaic measuring nine square metres, in the mountains that overlook the town, precisely on the Arroyo de la Cueva de la Higuera hiking trail.

Michael Brown, who arrived in Torremolinos from Toronto with his family in September, has been creating work using discarded materials for more than 20 years. He began making his "installations" in an area in Toronto that was created when buildings were torn down to make room for skyscrapers, and here Michael gathered up waste materials to construct decorative walls and towers. He also created a series of columns made with discarded bricks in Leslie Street Spit, a human-made headland in Toronto.

The 59-year-old school teacher loves being outdoors and surrounded by nature, so he finds the trails and natural zones surrounding Torremolinos "spectacular" with "incredible views". It was while out for a walk one day that he came across what he believed was the perfect site to create a piece of art.

"I stumbled upon both the materials and a cement base when out on a hike along the Pico Jabalcuza route. The slab of cement, probably the foundation of a former building, was ideal. There is also a lot of construction waste that has been dumped nearby, so I knew that I would be able to source enough tile pieces. My process involved repositioning a couple of thousand discarded tiles among many more that have been dumped in the area. I figure there are between 1,500 and 2000 pieces in the work," Michael tells SUR in English.

The mosaic is inspired by the decorative tiles found on municipal buildings churches and palaces across Andalucía, and by the geometric patterns in the tiles of the Alhambra palace in Granada. The artist used debris and discarded materials and transformed these into something visually impactful, whether viewed up close or from the hills above.

"I have been drawn to the designs, colours and geometric patterns of tiles in Spain, and I am amazed at just how many horizontal and vertical surfaces are tiled. In Canada, we don't have this same tradition. When deciding which pattern to use for the installation, I came across an online book of tiles found in the Alhambra. It was through doing this research that I learned of the lengthy history of tiles in Spain. Using a pattern from the Alhambra was my way of connecting to Spain's past," he explains.

The artist says that his work and his teaching practices are closely connected to the environment, and he uses his respect of the planet and its natural resources to better educate his students.

"I have been teaching at the primary level since 2011. I have taught everything from kindergarten through grade six. I always try to get students outside. It can make for chaotic learning at the start of the school year. But students soon get used to being surrounded by nature. For example, using large protractors to measure angles in the school yard makes geometry come alive much more so than if they were to measure angles found in the classroom. My art practice is similar too. Whenever I am outside, whether I am doing an installation, shooting photography or painting, I am completely happy," he says.

Michael also uses his art to draw attention to both the problems and the possible uses of discarded materials, along with the importance of recycling.

"Recycling awareness is very important. I try to model good environment stewardship when I am teaching. For example, I will do projects using recycled materials. When I paint, I often source my canvases or panels from discarded materials," he declares.

However, Michael, along with his wife, Anya, who helped with the collection of broken tiles for the installation, is faced with the problem of directing people to his new mosaic installation, seeing as its location is way off the average tourist's track.

"There is no signage yet, so in the meantime, I will see if I can mark the location on Google maps. My wife has also suggested printing a QR code so that people can read about it when they come across it. Only time will tell how long it will remain there, but hopefully people will admire it for a long time," he says.

The artist is hoping to organise an official inauguration ceremony some time next month.

"I need someone who has access to a drone, as I think footage from overhead along with the mountains could be really striking," he concludes.