Shouldn't those of us who are trying to live a more earth-friendly lifestyle give ourselves permission every so often to take a breather from the widespread doom and gloom that persists in the media? Granted, the ecological dramas that are unfolding before our very eyes are all too real and certainly troubling, but even the greenest of the green can't function at their best if they subsist on a steady diet of hardcore reality. Rather than continue obsessing over the sad state of events unfolding in the Arctic or pore over the jaw-dropping images of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, I'd like to take you on a journey into the lighter side of green...just for the next few minutes. Don't worry -- you deserve to turn off your brain and have a little fun. Okay...ready?

Artists have a way of not only helping us to temporarily forget what ails the world, they also possess the innate ability to reimagine the most ordinary materials so that they take on a far more monumental presence. Many of them may not be labeled as "eco artists" but their work reflects creative resourcefulness thanks to the utilization of bits and pieces of our consumer culture. But, traditional art generates a measurable carbon footprint -- I mean, how many installations are actually broken down and recycled? That is why it is my personal pleasure to introduce you to the work of an artist who has left absolutely NO carbon footprint whatsoever because every material he uses returns right back to the closet.

Perhaps you've heard of him. Hailing from Vienna, Bela Borsodi is actually a New York based photographer who combines graphic design, craft and fine art elements to create surreal, 3D sculptural arrangements that have graced the pages of such popular periodicals as Wallpaper, Details and Vogue.  The three images above were part of a collaboration that he did with P. Graves for Italian Vogue back in 2004 appropriately titled, "Wild Life."

He did this series in 2005 for Details Magazine (called "Bag Man") demonstrating that our lives' accessories require no mortal flesh to endow them with personality.

 While Borsodi has achieved a great deal of success with The Donut Project and countless other international editorial pieces, it is his series of textile "faces" that have achieved him the greatest acclaim.

When you look at them, you instantly think, "These are so simple that they're brilliant."

While the four faces above were done back in 2003 for Another Magazine, Borsodi clearly perfected his unique brand of eco-textile origami with the following series (pictured below) of more refined faces for online European fashion retailer Yalook.

Perhaps one evening after climbing out of his clothes, they serendipitously fell into an artful heap on the floor and the rest, as they say, is history.

It's somewhat amusing to see that ugly sweaters remain perpetually homely, no matter how inspired the artist might be.

The guy on the right with the fuzzy little beard reminds me of my grandfather if he were perpetually grumpy...

Throughout the years, Borsodi has maintained a connection with found objects and fashion accessories, weaving them into artistic compositions that take on a life of their own.

However, none have been nearly as inspiring (in my opinion) as the brilliant simplicity of these arrangements, whether you consider it "eco art" or not.