Glastonbury Festival Artist Joe Rush Unveils Major Exhibition of Works Crafted from Junk Materials
Joe Rush, the visionary artist who has brought monumental sculptures constructed from reclaimed materials to Glastonbury Festival for nearly four decades, is seizing the opportunity of the event's fallow year to present a significant solo exhibition of his innovative works. The London-born artist, renowned for founding the Mutoid Waste Company arts collective, is showcasing dozens of new pieces at the Bomb Factory Art Foundation's Marylebone gallery throughout March.
A Legacy of Iconic Installations at Worthy Farm
Rush first arrived at Worthy Farm in 1985, driving a truck he had ingeniously converted into a giant skull to the Somerset festival's main stage. Over the subsequent years, he has created and installed several legendary works at Glastonbury, including Carhenge – a striking replica of Stonehenge built entirely from vintage vehicles – and the impressive Glastonbury-on-Sea, a 60-foot pier that captivated festival-goers. These installations have become integral to the festival's unique artistic landscape.
The Unnatural Exhibition: A Deeper Artistic Focus
With Glastonbury Festival taking a planned break this summer to allow the land to rest and cows to graze before approximately 210,000 revellers return in 2027, Rush has dedicated time to develop more intricate pieces for his exhibition, titled Unnatural. He explained that while festival art must be "quick and punchy and funny," the gallery setting enables him to concentrate on very specific details and convey a profound environmental message.
Rush's works are meticulously crafted from an eclectic array of reclaimed materials, ranging from motorcycle, car, and agricultural parts to animal horns, tank cogs, and even an antique bronze chandelier. Notable pieces include a giant dinosaur fossil assembled from hammers, knives, and spanners, a serpentine sculpture formed from an old bicycle chain, and a bull whose nostrils are fashioned from a vintage gas mask. The exhibition also features representations of birds, bees, butterflies, horses, and dogs, with the final piece – inspired by his son – depicting a boy in a garden of metallic flowers.
Environmental Commentary and Creative Inspiration
In an interview, Rush articulated that his exhibition tells a story of extinction and biodiversity loss, describing his creations as "totemic creatures" and "prayers for the existence and continuation of creatures and insects." The central piece, Insecticide is Suicide, is a giant bee constructed from three dead engines, drawing a poignant comparison between the anatomy of industrial objects at the end of their life and the anatomy of nature.
"It is an unnatural history museum," Rush stated. "The idea is related to how we are behaving as humans. We are natural creatures living in an unnatural way, which is destroying the equilibrium of the planet." He expressed hope that his work would inspire people to view discarded items with childlike creativity and to appreciate insects and small creatures as beautiful, essential beings.
Tributes from Festival Organisers and Gallery Directors
Emily Eavis, co-organiser of Glastonbury Festival, paid tribute to Rush's enduring influence, noting that his "extraordinary ability to transform scrap metal into imaginative, otherworldly sculptures has inspired generations of festival-goers." She welcomed the celebration of his work in a major solo show.
Pallas Citroen, managing director of The Bomb Factory, highlighted that Rush's exhibition is part of the charity's annual programme focusing on collective production and material reuse, aligning with contemporary sustainability themes.
The Unnatural exhibition is open at the Bomb Factory Art Foundation's Marylebone gallery from March 13 to 29, offering a rare opportunity to experience Rush's artistic evolution outside the festival environment.
