Katharyne & Tom Starinsky
Upcycled Material
Cleveland sculptor Ian Petroni designed “Invasive Species” using vinyl sidingthat was removed from a
Larchmere neighborhood home in an effort to restore the home to its original character. For the 2011
Neighborhoods of Shaker Square Home Tour, Petroni was asked to create an installation using the discarded
vinyl siding to provoke critical thought about the use of toxic, unsustainable building materials. He sculpted
more than 30 grass-like tufts of varying sizes from the siding, and positioned them in front of the house.
Katharyne Starinsky, one of the founders of the home tour and economic development specialist for the
City of Shaker Heights, says, “Ian was inspired by the siding’s ubiquitous, choking nature. After the home
tour, the tufts were moved to Felice Urban Café on Larchmere Boulevard, and later sold to individuals,”
including the Starinskys. The proceeds from the sales went to the home tour fund. The Starinskys
meanwhile installed their purchase in the front yard of their Onaway neighborhood home.
Katharyne says she met Petroni while she was working on the Year of the Dog project for the St. Clair
Superior Development Corporation in 2006. “I loved his work, which typically involved upcycled materials,
so I thought he would be great for our vinyl siding project.”
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To learn more about Petroni and his work, visit ianpetroni.com.