MORE than 100 artists in Old Trafford have had their work included in a collection of absolute rubbish.
The Rubbish Art Book contains 200 pages of drawings and paintings of litter left on the area's streets, all by those residents who are affected by it every day.
Intended to draw attention to the issue, although in a positive manner, the collection is the idea of visual artists Liz Lock and Mishka Henner.
They did a series of workshops at OT Creative Space, an Ayres Road studio led by Lynda Sterling, which were attended by residents of all ages and abilities.
Mishka, who was born in Belgium but now lives in Old Trafford, said: "As residents of Old Trafford, we wanted to find a way to talk about rubbish without resorting to the usual complaints or rants.
"Instead, we wanted to use art as a tool for reflection and for bringing people together."
He added: "I’m always trying to find engaging ways of using art to reflect on cultural and social issues.
"It doesn’t matter how skilful you are or how well you can handle paint or a pencil. What matters is taking the time to make marks on paper, discuss whatever's on your mind and enjoy the process."
Old Trafford resident Ravinder Virdee, who attended the workshops, described them as 'inspirational'.
She said: "It was truly inspiring to create art using rubbish.
"Who would've thought such beauty can be found in litter?"
But Mishka stressed the collection of drawings and paintings to come out of the workshops was not to suggest Old Trafford is rubbish itself.
He said: "On the contrary. We love it here and hope that the skills and talents of shown on the pages of the book help people to think twice about littering.
"These days, the council and Amey seem to react quickest when you tweet about them. And although books are a slower form of communication, they're permanent in a way tweets aren't. So we're keen to see how our book will circulate in the community.”
The Rubbish Art Book costs £5 and it is available to purchase from OT Creative Space on Ayres Road.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here