Working exclusively with recycled tires, an emerging group of artists have taken green art to a new level. Through a physically demanding process of twisting, slicing, and weaving found rubber tires, they form sculptures that fuse ecological concerns with sculpture.

Chakaia Booker reclaims her tires from roadsides, abandoned lots, salvage yards, and city dumps. In her studio, she uses an arsenal of machinery and cutting tools to perform the arduous task of shredding and pulling apart the elements of tires. The fragments are then folded, twisted, and knotted into abstract forms. Booker draws upon the inherent characteristics of the tires—their black color, steel belts, and various tread patterns—to create her expressive and complex sculptures.