plastic waters
Location:
James Madison Memorial High School
201 S Gammon Rd, Madison, WI 53717
Feb. 12 - Mar. 7, 2020
Medium: Misc. Plastic Waste
Dimensions: 7 ft. x 50 ft. x 4 ft.
Year: 2021
Exhibition Website: http://winterisalive.org/
Made out of different types of plastic waste such as used plastic bags and discarded synthetic fabrics, Plastic Waters illustrates plastic’s contribution to climate change represented by rising water levels. The sculpture talks about plastic’s hidden presence in our daily lives and its less obvious effects on the environment. Plastic is everywhere around us. Sometimes plastic’s presence is obvious like in plastic bags that float in waves. Sometimes plastic is less noticeable, like microplastics that are invisible to our eyes. Most plastic put into household recycling bins will not be recycled. In fact, only a small portion of plastic ever made has been recycled; the rest of the plastic is either burned or sent to landfills where it then often finds its way to the natural environment, frequently bodies of water. Besides the direct effect that plastic has on the environment, plastic also has more hidden costs: a considerable portion of the oil supply is used to make plastic and even after plastic is discarded it will continue to create greenhouse gas emissions.
