Putting monetary value on Plastic!

Beijing introduces recycling banks that pay subway credits for bottles!
Finally making plastic have an after life that has monetary value!
Watch the 3 min video on Youtube.

Airplane crash reveals Ocean Garbage

While in the search of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, Plastic debris was discovered instead!
Garbage discovery

Thinking they found pieces of the crashed plane, garbage is revealed instead.
A French satellite discovered a 75 feet long object on their radar, making them believe it could be an  airplane wing. Truth reveals: its just a conglomeration of plastic debris floating instead.

How much trash is in our ocean?

Other Blogs Seeing the issue in an Ecological Sociology kinda way

They describe themselves as:
"... a group of faculty and students in the Sociology department at the University of New Brunswick. As humans, we observe the multitude of problems facing humanity -- globalization, climate change, economic growth and collapse, pollution, wars, population increase and international migration, peak oil -- and wonder what the future will bring. As sociologists, we question the utility of current sociological theory for understanding the relationship between the natural and social systems that underpins many of these problems. As theorists, we are interested in unpacking the complexity of the modern world by integrating sociological theory with ecological theory and complex adaptive systems theory. Our planet is your planet."

On the link I provided under, it goes directly to their post called "Good news about plastic...sort of"
This post discusses the facts about global productions of plastic has risen nearly six times in quantity, since 1980. They also talk about the main "interests" (during 2010) on Plastic Pollutions; in our oceans in this case, and the length of time it takes for plastic to break down and their tendency to accumulate in the ocean.

Their first discovery on the topic, shows new studies with results of plastic breaking down much faster in the ocean. Yet, the down side is that it releases a "potentially" toxic Chemical like Bisphenol A. In today's studies, this has been proven correct. Here's one link that describes this break down: ACS. Their second findings were the accumulation of plastics has not increased in a 22 year study. Science Daily is the website providing this information.


After reading all of this, the blog, ACS, and Science Daily as well as the Journal reference done by Kara Lavender Law, Skye Moret-Ferguson, Nikolai A. Maximenko, Giora Proskurowski, Emily E. Peacock, Jan Hafner, and Christopher M. Reddy. Plastic Accumulation in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (2010); I couldn't help to think, people, scientist, mind you not, have known about this a lot more than I had originally thought, and researched!

What needs to happen, for change to occur? An empty ocean filled with nothing but carcasses, jellyfish, and plastic? What does make me happy is that this is finally surfacing, and the more people who discuss this problem we have, the more likely a solution will happen and take place.

Its a word-by-mouth kind of problem. Mention Plastic Continents to one person a day, and imagine all the people will become informed of this phenomenon in just a couple of months!!


If you are interested in the blog I mentioned above, here is their link:
Ecological Sociology
The Picture above was taken from the website:  DVice
From their post- "Why aren't we turning our plastic trash into energy?"

More Pictures of "Untitled"

Here are some more pictures of my sculpture. 

I still haven't come up with a title for it. 

"Untitled"

New Sunset Painting

As most of you know, I am currently attending the University of South Florida to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Painting. 

Thought I would share one of my recently painted Landscape.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but the picture doesn't do it justice. 

I guess I need to work on my Camera skills, a tad bit more! Haha

Help be part of a movement!

Indonesia: Bali!

On the website called Magic Seaweed
It explains the effects Plastic debris has on their oceans. The Governor of Bali, named Mangku Pastika, told local surfers that he would ban the manufacture, distribution and use of plastic bags on Bali if one million signatures were gained.
If you are interested in this, you may sign the petition Here

Although, I personally believe that Banning plastic bags completely is a bit extreme, I do think its the beginning of a new mindset and outlook.  

What I also found interesting, is when you google "Bali Beaches" you are directed to amazing white pristine beaches, like the picture below:

It looks surreal... Like a true paradise.
But when you google: "Bali beaches plastic" the results are quite drastic in comparison. Take a look:

Here are some pictures I borrowed from the website, Magic Seaweed.

Be part of the solution!

"Untitled" Plastic Sculpture

The Theme for this project was: "Time, Material and the Everyday"

We were allowed to choose materials that could be: Found objects, hardware, mass-priduced objects or any other media as needed (film, video, sound, photography, any we could think of that would be necessary to complete this project).

The assignment was how "Modernity is defined by the rationalization and standardization of the manufacturing process. As products of modernity we have become a society of consumers. Go into any "big-box store" and you will find large cases of bargain goods to purchase at a reduced rate. Rarely do we walk into a store and realize that the way aisles are planned out and displayed are done deliberately to please the eye and seduce us into purchasing these items we originally didn't intend to buy. As artists we can use the strategy of accumulation and repetition to investigate formal experience and/ or to investigate consumer ideology."

The assignment was quite simple. We had to use at least 1,000 of the same item. 

Questions we had to keep in mind:

-How does this piece touch the world? does it sit on the floor? hang from the ceiling? Hover in mid air?

-Where does this work belong? in a gallery? prison? Grandma's Backyard? Outer space?

-What kind of materials are available to you? what do those material mean?

How do you best connnect the material you have chosen? Adhesives or mechanical connection? Do your objects balance on one another?

-Is the connection between your 1,000+ objects formal or conceptual? Do all objects look the same? Are they all the same color? Do they all start with the letter Z?

-How does your viewer experience the work? is your work confrontational or passive?

-Does your work last forever or only for a brief moment?

I haven't named this piece, yet. I believe it should be well thought of and something clever; rather than title it without any true significance or meaning behind it. The feedback I received on this piece was very positive and interesting. 

Some of my fellow classmates knew immediately the ocean was involved. They also like the idea that a political aspect of this sculpture was noticeable. Most didn't see it as political at all, but rather as a true piece of art. Some mentioned the movement of the piece was alive, and could feel the ocean moving through the piece. The exposed chicken wire wasn't bothersome to most, and to those it did said it was because it resembled a "net"

My Professor, Ms. Elliott thought this piece was successful in the fact that it was clever enough to be broad in its meaning. "The more you look at it, the more you can realize the impact and our use of plastic has on the ocean."

She also mentioned that because it is a "pretty" piece, maybe people wouldn't be able to "feel bad" about the plastic that consumed and has become a sea fan. 

I was truly pleased with the feedback and critiques. I was able to see what worked and what needs improvement. This piece took me well over 20 hours. I can honestly say, that with the time period I was given the piece turned out great! I am very happy with the results....and luckily IT STANDS ON ITS OWN! Which was something I feared, while creating the piece. I'm also glad no one viewed this as "activist art" because my goal isn't to PREACH about change, its to spread awareness, in a positive manner, and let people know that this occurring phenomenon is NOT a DOOMED one, and we CAN change it by simply viewing plastic with value rather than useless. 

Plastic is an amazing creating, we just need a solution to control and modify the amount and our use of it....

That's it in a nutshell. 

Voila!

Hope you enjoy!

:) 

"Untitled"

Jan. 2014

36x32