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

Painter who uses Plastic!

 Gerhard Richter

 There's a documentary, on Netflix, of the artist named Gerhard Richter. The longer I watched the movie, the more I admired him. His ability to play, see, and work with colors, is just as fascinating as the way he prepares the space for his exhibition. I also deeply respect his meticulous approach in producing his art. During the film, Gerhard Richter explains that painting under observation is the worst thing to do, “worst than being in a hospital”. Although my skills and expertise in painting are incomparable to those of Gerhard Richter, I can relate to this statement. The feeling one gets when being watched is as if you were completely exposed. 

     When the question “what were you thinking, while you were making this painting?” is asked to the artist, Gerhard Richter is at a loss of words to answer. He describes that to explain a painting in words can only be done with a limited choice. Painting in itself is a completely different form of communicating your thoughts as a painter. You don't know where or how the painting will turn out, you just feel and know it. I have done quite a few of paintings now, yet, it wasn't until recently I discovered what it meant to finish a piece. I agree with Gerhard Richter when he describes his painting as “fun for the moment”, meaning they may look good now, for a couple of seconds, minutes, or even for a day. But then you take a look at them later on, and know they still have a way to go to be completely “mature”. Each painting may be done by the same technique, but their process is uniquely applied to each, leaving one-of-a-kind artworks. 

     I'd like to believe Gerhard Richter and I have many similarities. From various range of styles, to admiration in other media, and techniques, I engross and can relate to the artists' mindset. The idea that, for a couple of years, Richter only did paintings of the color grey is thought-provoking. To someone who may not understand art, may describe this avant-garde approach as “dense” and cliché. But when you observe each canvas separately, or compare them to each other, the now dried paint reveals a distinct story. It reminds me of the idea that no two created paintings, even when the same color is being used, will produce the same result. It furthermore demonstrates that emotions and feelings overpower the outcome of a hand-made product, such as a painting. 

          Gerhard Richter's work is something I had never witnessed before. The artists I have learned and seen work of, usually have techniques that is quite opposed to Richter's. Although he is very precise in how he works and what he expects his paintings to look like, Richter doesn't truly control the paint he puts on canvas. By using a “squeegee”, a sort of plastic palette knife that various in sizes, disconnect him from the paint in some aspects. He may place the paint, and specific color(s) on it with careful details, but the way the paint forms and plays is truly due to the plastic and canvas relationship. Gerhard Richter can just observe and 'feel' where it will take him. 

      What I find the most incredible in Gerhard Richter's approach, is knowing he started his carrer with surrealism. The transformation between the two styles are quite compelling. Although most of his work now is viewed as abstract, there is a sense of surrealism to them. Images and landscapes begin to form from each painting. I believe that because the paintings are so abstract, reflecting a unique observation and perception on the image strictly differs by its viewer. He described two paintings towards the beginning of the film, where one was more “fun” than the other, but I couldn't help but disagree with him. Gerhard Richter's work reminded me of the saying “once a painting is hung for others to view, it no longer belongs to the painter.” 

New Camera& a trip to the Landfill

Everyone I have been talking to, meeting, and getting advice from, told me I needed to:
-Invest in a good camera
-Add more pictures to my blog
-Take more of my own pictures!!

So...What did I do?
I got myself a SONY NEX6. It's a beauty.
To test it out, I decided to go to a landfill. After doing some research, I discovered there are quite a few of them located around Tampa; there's about 10 of them. In order to find them, it depends on the name you use to look them up.
-Landfill
-Dump
-Trash Dump
-Disposal
-Waste Solution
-Waste Disposal
-etc...

The closest one I found was one located about 5KM. When I got there, I was confronted by Felix, the "Black guy who watches"(this is how he introduced himself to me, very sweet gentlemen), that the land was private property and we were not allowed to go passed the gates.

I am not going to lie to you, I tried convincing him that this was for a project, and a good cause; I was even able to get the owner, George Coniglio's cell number, to ask his permission, but in the end I was told the property was closed off, had been sold to the government and is currently under construction.

So I took pictures of its surrounding instead. And to be honest, what I discovered and the pictures I was able to capture were beyond what I had imagined....

These are unedited, if you were wondering. 

Take a look:

 

I admit it, I'm no photographer. But for a first timer, and a test run with my new camera...

I think I did alright. No?

An Academic Award Winning Documentary: Wasteland

Vik Muniz

 
    For those with a Netflix account and think you have seen it all, add Wasteland to your Need-to-Watch List. It's free!

Words cannot describe how amazing artist Vik Muniz. 
Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1961. At a young age, he was shot in the leg after trying to break up a fight. He received compensation for the injuries and chose to use the money to fund a trip to New York City. He ended up working there until the late 1980's. He started his career as a sculpture, and later on developed a passion towards photography. 

"...Vik has used dirt, diamonds, sugar, string, chocolate syrup and garbage to create bold, witty and often deceiving images drawn from the pages of photojournalism and art history. His work has been met with both commercial success and critical acclaim, and has been exhibited worldwide. His solo show at MAM in Rio de Janeiro was second only to Picasso in attendance records; it was here that Vik first exhibited his “Pictures of Garbage Series” in Brazil."

-Waste Land Movie

The documentary Waste Land was filmed for over three years. The film follows artist, Vik Muniz, in his journey of returning back to his native country, Brazil, to visit the World's largest landfill located on the outer part of Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Gramacho. Once there, he begins photographing "catadores"- Recyclable Material Collectors. He tells each Catadores he photographs, all proceeds made from these work of art will be there's to keep. The beauty of this film is within each individuals, their story, and their view of the world. Vik Muniz not only became a part of their world, he helped them and created a film that is simply poetic and magical. 

Valter: [talking about the importance of recycling] People sometimes say "But one single can?" One single can is of great importance. Because 99 is not 100, and that single one will make the difference. 

Vik Muniz: I'd rather want everything and have nothing, than have everything and want nothing. Because at least when you want something your life has a meaning: it's worthwhile. From the moment you think you have everything, you have to search for meaning in other things. I spent half my life wanting everything and having nothing; and now I have everything and I don't want anything.    

If, after reading this, you still have doubts on whether or not you wish to view this film....take a peek of the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNlwh8vT2NU

How did you enjoy the documentary? What did you get out of it?
Does the artist's work resonate with any important cultural concerns in today's society?

 

Interview with MSLK

My first victim.... I mean Interviewee!

I called Marc S Levitt from the MSLK Design Agency after seeing their recent plastic intervention project.

For those who do not know about MSLK, I highly recommend visiting their webpage (link is below)
http://mslk.com/


Our conversation was short but informative!
Mark expressed he agreed with what Plastic Continents entails and wished to speak more about what my goals were about.

To be continued...

2014 Goals

So, 

because this is a new year, things are going to move very quickly. 

I need to get Plastic Continents going, and moving.
I will be interviewing 10 people by then end of February.
I have prepared some questions for these individuals, and will post each interview on the blog.
The people I will be interviewing are the following(order is not relevant):
-Kevin Costner
-Lady Gaga
-Metabolix
-NatureWorks
-Cereplast
-BP Headquarters
-Nalco Holding Company- Corexit oil
-Econyl
-Waste Management Headquarters
-INCOM

It's a pretty big List.
It's going to be a very busy two months.

A New Year, New Ideas

I hope you had a wonderful Holiday and New Year!

I've had this idea for some time now and have decided to share it with you.

It's a machine I have not yet named, but for now we can call it: R4C (Recycle for Coupons)

Basically its a vending machine that would accept plastic bottles and plastic bags, or any other plastic object; it would then crush/compact it; weigh the weight of the compact plastic; and would then print coupons or a card with an equivalent credit for that store.

Each store could program their own R4C. The coupons could also be associated with Groupon, or site like it.

You could maybe also have an option for a reward/point system. And could accumulate points to then receive some sort of reward. Recycling should be not only fun, but also have some sort of recompense towards the individual who is helping make a difference.

Those who live on the streets could also have an incentive in earning points for food, clothes, etc...
They earn 5-10 cents for each can they bring in, plastic bottles or bags should also have some sort of value.

By giving it a value, people would think twice about discarding it.
I'm telling you. I think this is the Future!

How stuff works gets involved!

How long does it take for plastics to biodegrade?

"Drop a ketchup bottle on the floor, and you'll be thankful for polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, the nearly indestructible plastic used to make most containers and bottles. Drop the same bottle into a landfill, however, and you might have second thoughts. Why? Because petroleum-based plastics like PET don't decompose the same way organic material does. Wood, grass and food scraps undergo a process known as biodegradation when they're buried, which is a fancy way of saying they're transformed by bacteria in the soil into other useful compounds. But bacteria turn up their noses at plastic. Load their dinner plates with some plastic bags and bottles, and the one-celled gluttons will skip the meal entirely.

Based on this logic, it's safe to argue that plastic will never biodegrade. Of course, that's not the end of the story. Daniel Burd, a student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute, recently demonstrated that certain types of bacteria can break down plastic. His research earned the top prize at the Canada-wide Science Fair, earning him $10,000 cash and a $20,000 scholarship [source: Kawawada].
Until other researchers can replicate Burd's experiment and waste treatment plants can implement any new processes, the only real way to break down plastic is through photodegradation. This kind of decomposition requires sunlight, not bacteria. When UV rays strike plastic, they break the bonds holding the long molecular chain together. Over time, this can turn a big piece of plastic into lots of little pieces.
Of course, plastic buried in a landfill rarely sees the light of day. But in the ocean, which is where a lot of discarded grocery bags, soft drink bottles and six-pack rings end up, plastic is bathed in as much light as water. In 2009, researchers from Nihon University in Chiba, Japan, found that plastic in warm ocean water can degrade in as little as a year. This doesn't sound so bad until you realize those small bits of plastic are toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and PS oligomer. These end up in the guts of animals or wash up on shorelines, where humans are most likely to come into direct contact with the toxins.
One solution to this environmental disaster is biodegradable plastic. There are two types currently on the market -- plant-based hydro-biodegradable plastic and petroleum-based oxo-biodegradable plastic. In the former category, polylactic acid (PLA), a plastic made from corn, tops the list as the most talked-about alternative. PLA decomposes into water and carbon dioxide in 47 to 90 days -- four times faster than a PET-based bag floating in the ocean. But conditions have to be just right to achieve these kinds of results. PLA breaks down most efficiently in commercial composting facilities at high temperatures. When buried in a landfill, a plastic bag made from corn may remain intact just as long as a plastic bag made from oil or natural gas.
 Keep reading for more links you might like on plastics."

http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/how-long-does-it-take-for-plastics-to-biodegrade1.htm

What is corn plastic?

"
For years, the corncob pipe was a fashion accessory best left to hillbillies, Frosty the Snowman and Gen. Douglas MacArthur. While the look is no less bumpkinish today than it ever was, corn is showing up in the production of more everyday items -- and without resembling a prop from "Hee Haw." What looks like normal oil-based plastic at first glance is actually polylactic acid (PLA) plastic made from specially processed crops.
That's right: corn plastic. You can drink coffee out of it, put groceries in it, wear it and even hang ten on it on a corn plastic surfboard. Most important, you can turn corn into plastic and avoid dependency on petroleum. Much like corn ethanol, corn plastic allows us to make a comparable product out of a renewable resource, as opposed to oil reserves that will one day run dry. In addition, since corn can be cultivated throughout the world, market value doesn't hinge on relationships with oil-rich nations or on peace in the Middle East. After all, have you ever seen "No blood for corn" printed on a T-shirt?
The United States uses 20.8 million barrels of oil per day, 10 percent of which goes solely to the production of conventional plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) [sources: CIA World Factbook, Jewell]. Bioplastics like corn plastic, however, don't require oil and, as a bonus, their manufacture releases fewer toxins and greenhouse gases.
­Plus, while normal plastic has a nasty habit of sticking around for centuries after disposal, corn plastic boasts the ability to biodegrade in mere months. Moreover, should you choose to burn it, you don't have to worry about creating toxic fumes.
In this article, we'll look at how a corn stalk turns into a plastic garbage can and why some critics aren't convinced that bioplastics are necessarily a godsend.

Bioplastics: The Pros and Cons

Globally, bioplastics make up nearly 331,000 tons (300,000 metric tons) of the plastics market [source: European Bioplastics]. That may sound like a lot, but it only accounts for less than 1 percent of the 200 million tons (181 million metric tons) of synthetic plastics the world produces each year [source: Green Council]. Still, the bioplastics market is growing by 20 to 30 percent each year, but not everyone's pleased [source: Vidal].
­What could be wrong with a renewable resource you grow in a field and compost when you're done with it? As it turns out, several things. For one, corn plastic only composts in the hot, moist settings of a commercial composting facility. Simply throw a corn plastic product out of your car or bury it in a backyard-composting heap and the material will stand the test of time just as regular PET plastics will.
If commercial composting isn't available, PLA plastics can wind up following conventional plastics into the landfill or into plastic recycling programs. What's wrong with putting corn plastics in your recycling bin? To the uninformed eye, one may look very much like the other, but their chemical composition is very different. In fact, a relatively small amount of bioplastic can contaminate conventional plastic recycling, preventing the salvaged plastic from being reused and stopping recycling companies from profiting from one of their more lucrative recyclables.
Due to these dangers, companies like NatureWorks are treading carefully, introducing corn plastic products slowly and communicating with commercial recyclers to spot contamination early. Bioplastics manufacturers insist that the threat is overblown and that recycling remains a better option than composting for PLAs such as corn plastic, since it makes up such a small percent of the current plastics market. In addition, since PLA plastics produce the greenhouse gas methane when they decompose, composting isn't a perfect disposal method. On the other hand, if incinerated, bioplastics don't emit toxic fumes like their oil-based counterparts.
To avoid the complications of mixed plastics, commercial composters in the Northwestern United States only accept bioplastics from food service operations, not households. This approach means that bioplastics could conceivably be used to great effect at sports games and other events where foods are purchased and consumed on the premises in bulk.
As with corn ethanol, corn plastic has also drawn criticism for depending on the industrial farming of large fields of crops. These fields could otherwise be used to grow food for an ever-rising global population. Much of the corn used for bioplastics is a variety called Number 2 Yellow Dent that's used mostly for animal feed. In addition, some of this corn used has been genetically modified. Nevertheless, even if genetically modified corn was used to make your plastic water bottle, NatureWorks insists that you don't have to worry about consuming modified proteins, as these are destroyed in the transformation from plant to PLA plastic [source: Jewell].
Advocates also stress that the bioplastics industry is in its infancy, with long-term plans of being able to depend exclusively on agricultural waste (such as stems and stalks) for production. Such plans are also mentioned in defense of the higher costs associated with bioplastics research and production. PET plastics are a mature commodity, with years of production fine-tuning behind it. Bioplastics advocates argue that, in time, PLA costs will go down, all while petroleum-based plastics costs continue to fluctuate due to unstable production regions and dwindling resources.
Explore the links on the next page to learn even more about plastics, corn, biofuel and recycling.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/corn-plastic3.htm

Final Painting Project: Plastic Concept

In today's blog,

the only thing I will say is:
We had to paint a concept & only use a big brush (size 10).
(That's why it's not as detailed as it could have been)

Can you guess what mine is about?

The problem with documentary like....

The problems with documentaries like: Plastic Planet

is the negative picture they paint about plastic. I mean Congratulations Werner Boote, on living an almost plastic-free and minimal newly discovered lifestyle. I mean, I have tried to go 100% plastic-free and to be completely honest, living on a student salary isn't going to cut it.
(P.S: I tried contacting you in order to have you involved with my project, which is very similar to what you are involved with, but I guess that's something we can discuss about some other time...)

ANYWAYS, where was I...
ahh ... yes,
Plastic is an amazing creation. We should not hate nor blame plastic companies because of our misuse of the product.  It's not their fault its a cheap good; in the sense that it doesn't cost much to produce.

The reason for the harmful effects it creates, is something we can only blame ourselves for.
We are the ones who choose to use so much quantity of it.
We are the ones who do not recycle it, or deliberately pollute it.

By blaming plastic industries, we are denying our direct involvement with the merchandise. And that is just too easy. Plastic is, once again, an amazing product. And like many amazing products, problems associate themselves with it, especially in the beginning, or what I like to call the "honeymoon phase".

I mean remember the iPhone when it first came out?

The Honeymoon Phase

From toothbrushes, to medical equipments, to credit cards, plastic is something no other type of material (as of today) could do. The reason for most of its associated problems, comes from the fact that it is so cheap and easy to fabricate in such a large quantity at a very fast pace.

Just imagine for one second....

That you are in another world...

 Where...

Plastic is no longer like the plastic we interact with today. 

Imagine its worth being the equivalence of gold. 

Plastic=gold. 

Now how different do you think this world would be?

No one would dare waste it. 

No one would pollute it. 

People would cherish its existence as an item that was worth something!

And we all know what we do with objects that are valuable, 

we protect and keep them. 

Do you see what I mean, now, by plastic being a cheap good and it being our fault?

By plastic having a low, almost worthless value to it, its importance is worth the equivalence. 

That's why people will throw their trash out the window, leave their "trash" behind, because they are not true belongings. 

The picture below is Key West early in the morning. After the "partiers" have gone home to sleep. 

Please, feel free to comment on what you see.

Thank You Boyan Slat

Engineering Student Claims his invention will clean up our oceans in five years.

 

So today's post is about thanking 19 year old, Boyan Slat.

As the article states:

A Dutch teenager has invented a device that he claims could clean up some 20 billion tonnes of

plastic waste from the world's oceans.

Boyan Slat, 19, came up with the idea of a series of floating booms and processing platforms designed to collect floating plastic rubbish.

The 'ocean cleanup' concept is designed to capture the floating plastic but allow life like fish and plankton to pass through unharmed, while saving the waste materials to be recycled.

How does it work?

The Ocean Cleanup Array is an anchored network of floating booms and processing platforms will span the radius of a gyre.
The booms act as giant funnels where the angle of the booms effectively 'suck' rubbish in.
The debris enters the platforms, where it will be filtered out of the water and eventually stored in containers until collected for recycling on land.
One of the most significant advantages of using booms instead of nets is that marine life cannot be caught in them.
Furthermore, because the transport of plastic along the booms is driven by the currents, it’s slow enough for organisms to escape...

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2415889/Boyan-Slat-19-claims-invention-clean-worlds-oceans-just-years.html#ixzz2mxhJE94l

Sounds to good to be true? Yes. Unfortunately, it does. The concept is amazing, and a great beginning, but a non-factual one.

I personally don't want to share all the problems I have come across with Slat's concepts, because I too come up with ideas, concepts, and inventions that seem amazing and the only thing people can do is critique on just the complications. So I will leave my commentaries out.

What I will say instead is that I am glad people, young ones at that, are aware of this occurrence, and are "inventing" concepts to solve it! I also hope he will also prove us, the skeptics, wrong!

Personally, I've been working with the University of South Florida on an undergraduate research project on spreading awareness and creating change through an art piece. 

Just last week, I met up with my Mentor, Lisa Piazza, and discussed how I conceptualized the project.
AND
Let me just tell you, I received nothing but positive feedback!! So... you better get excited because it's going to be nothing less than Awesome.

But to finish this blog correctly, I would like to thank you Boyan Slat.
For putting yourself out there and already succeeding.

Make sure you Check out his website:

http://www.boyanslat.com/

Response Paper

Research Paper 3

Natacha Palay

Plastic Continents

            Landscapes aesthetics in practice

            The reasons for choosing Landscapes aesthetics in practice, as the main article to write a response paper to, seemed appropriate. The similarities between the projects they underwent and what I wish to set in motion with Plastic Continents, are striking . The artist creates a piece of art that is not only interactive, but create a momentum among its participants. The three landscape fieldwork projects have successfully engaged people with landscape change processes in varying degrees. These projects are not complete, and would be considered on-going pieces of art and research. I believe this article could be a primary reference for how I could develop and present my art project. 

            The idea that an artist could not create a piece of art as an art product, but a project that is interactive for its audience is a concept I find appealing. In the three landscape fieldwork projects, the research approach is participatory. The co-researchers are the artist and the people in the community. Whether the  participants were asked to draw, walk, or do both, the activities were seen as performative and catalytic. By creating a piece of art that isn't set on an exact theme the artist has worked solely, put things in motion, creating the a momentum for its viewers. Each participant becomes involved and attached to the work on a personal level, letting reactions and emotions to find their expression (formulate) through the artist acting as a catalyst, who allows the social and individual experiment to produce art.

Artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude underwent their projects with a specific motto: “l'on voit mieux les choses quand on les cache.” (We see things better once we have  hidden them).

A notion very close to what I envision(ed) Plastic Continents to portray. The ability to spread awareness and generate a constructive  response through  activist art, appealing to the hihest possible level of emotions and response, or what they call resilience of each audience member. By letting those engaged with the project on a personal level to come to the realization that change is needed and must begin.

            By having the viewers take part in the projects, the results obtained in the end are less prone to abide to political correctness, or basic pretense of good-doing, and will be authentic and sincere. When reflecting on ideas about how Plastic Continents should be presented, these two terms, authenticity and sincerity, play an important role.

In Felix Gonzalez-Torres piece “Untitled”(Portrait of Ross in L.A.) was an installation of 175 pounds of individually wrapped hard-candy. This was an allegorical representation of the artist's partner, Ross Laycock, who died of AIDS in 1991. The weight is significant, because it corresponded to Ross's ideal body weight. Audience members were encouraged to take a piece of candy from the pile. As the pile gradually decreased paralleled with Ross's weight loss and tribulation prior to his loss of life. When presenting Plastic Continents, the idea that the audience would be able to participate with the work of art and by doing so understand not only the problem at hand, but the big picture of this global ecological  catastrophe, is the result I would hope for. Individuals would then realize that a global problem can only begin to resolve to the individual and local level, by changing their habits first. The three landscape projects and Gonzalez-Torres's are simple, yet, to the point and evident. One, almost, doesn't need to read or know much about the subject to understand its significance, that's what makes them extraordinary.

            What is most appealing in the three landscape projects, is the open-ended aspect. It gives it a feel of a perpetual life and lets the artwork become memorable. Personally, the idea that viewers go to an exhibition, views the pieces of art, and then forget about it the next day is quite unnerving and discouraging, if the ultimate goal was not the self promotion of the artist, but her/his will to start a momentum of emotions, reactions, creations . A television commercial like the one expedited by Brita, to promote a tap water filtration system is an interesting example of creating a huge-positive changing impact. The ad showed a string of attached plastic water bottles extending to the horizon as a spectacular illustration of  the amount of plastic water bottles we consumed on a yearly basis can really add up, claiming that 300 hundred of those could be replaced by a single brita filter. This commercial created a huge sense of awareness amongst casual water drinkers, athletes, students, young or old, etc... It created a reaction and feelings in those who had seen the commercial. I have the conviction that the ones who have seen the ad, will durably associate a water bottle they might be on the verge of consuming, to that string of discarded plastic that could go three hundred times around the earth. And most likely debate on the necessity, or the legitimacy of their purchase. And just by enlightening one mind, can a momentum be started that will transform itself into a reaction and then into a change. It's a never-ending process in itself just like the three landscape fieldwork projects.

            Creating a piece of art that stands on a strictly activist stand point, might sound repetitive and purely rhetorical. Make it participative, interactive and open-ended, where the community and public guides its growth and intentions, and you've got yourself a “fun but deep way of learning and helping” art piece. Plastic Continents is exactly that. By creating an artwork made of situations, of collections of reactions and  that will let its viewers understand and acknowledge that they should not consider themselves as passively part of  an overwhelming global problem but that they can empower themselves to be part of its solution. Solving the plastic pollution that keeps bleeding into the our oceans and our deserts can only be through local and individual initiatives and plastic continent’s artistic activism could create such a catalytic reaction.