Thomasville Scene Summer 2023 | Page 38

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Inspired by renowned artist Wayne White , Environmental Consultant , Natalie Barfield crafts one-of-a-kind boxtures using recycled cardboard words & photography by Payton Fletcher

Seeing treasure where others may only find trash , one Thomasville local has taken to using cardboard boxes and leftover materials in order to bring pop culture icons back to life through art .

Having been creating her box sculptures , or boxtures , for years now , Natalie Barfield , a local artist , said that her focus on reusing materials was first sparked from her background in environmental planning .
“ I ’ m an environmental consultant , so I ’ ve been doing that maybe for about 10 years ,” she said . “ I got my Master ’ s Degree from FSU in Environmental Planning and quickly went to work on the everglade projects down in Florida .”
Now working remotely for a Hawaiian company to review federal agriculture projects , Barfield said that during the pandemic she was treated to the sight of numerous cardboard boxes getting thrown out .
“ I do have an interest in keeping things environmentally friendly ,” Barfield said . “ When the pandemic started , there was just this massive influx of boxes . I couldn ’ t see so many boxes going to the landfill , it just ate me up . As I was sitting around , I thought I could do something with this .”
And that something , she said , was creating her cardboard sculptures after being inspired by her favorite artist , Wayne White , and his work in massive fine art cardboard sculptures .
“ I looked to my favorite artist , his name is Wayne White , and he makes these massive fine art cardboard sculptures ,” Barfield said . “ And I don ’ t have it with me , but one of my first was this Dolly Parton , and I just kind of ran with it .”
Having done arts and crafts for years , creating Halloween and Victorian Christmas costumes , Barfield said that creating her first boxture , a sculpture of American singer and songwriter Dolly Parton , was really what began the growth and fascination with what she could pull off with every day objects .
“ It was really the pandemic that triggered me to look and notice that we can use this for something , I can make it beautiful ,” she said . “ The growth from the Dolly , I started adding
I think there ’ s beauty when something ’ s been touched a lot . It ’ s been poured over , it has a history ... There ’ s a little bit of fun in the fact that it ’ s dirty , it gives it some kind of soul .
38 Summer 2023 | Thomasville Scene