Graphite Drawings
Why did you start making graphite drawings of the ocean? I’ve always been fascinated with the surface of the ocean, and was planning a series of paintings to explore it. However the ocean’s surface is a very complex and difficult subject to capture, so I thought that I would understand it better if I spent some time drawing it. The first drawing hooked me. I loved the simplicity of the pencil combined with the complexity of the subject matter. The process is very meditative and I love getting lost in it.
Will you ever make a series of paintings of the ocean’s surface? Yes, I’m working on a series right now. They are also the basis of my plastic ocean sculptures.
Places For Reflection Oil Paintings
Why do you use metal leaf in your paintings? The ocean has always been a sacred place for me—a place I can think, reflect, breathe, and find peace and insight. Gold leaf has long been a symbol of the sacred, and is also a reflective surface. Using it underneath the paint allows me to allude to these reflective and spiritual qualities I find in nature, and contemplate what is really underneath it all.
Gold Leafed Plastic
Why is trash gold leafed? Surprisingly, plastic trash and gold have some things in common. Both are shiny, malleable, durable and can last for centuries. Gold we value, yet plastic we throw away after seconds of use. It’s absurd that we discard all of this plastic so mindlessly, and it has become a huge problem for our oceans and wildlife. These 23 Kt gilded plastic artworks also serve as objects of reflection, mimicking sacred artifacts yet exposing the false idol of consumerism. The gold also alludes to the economic forces that sustain our dependence on plastic. Hopefully viewers of the art will never see a plastic bottle the same way again.
See these artworks at the Triton Museum of Art.
PHOTO BY KATHERINE EMERY
Are you glorifying trash? Yes and no. The material that the trash is made from is really quite amazing. It is clear, shiny, moldable and extremely durable. The fact that we mindlessly consume so much of it and throw it away after seconds of use is causing major destruction to our oceans and ecosystems, and perhaps, even our own bodies. This is a material that should only be used for items that need its durability. It should not be used as a single-use disposable item. The use of the gold salutes the usefulness and value of the material, at the same time highlighting the absurdity of the way we use it in our society.
Why did you gold leaf Starbucks cups? Aren’t they recyclable or compostable? Starbucks coffee cups are surprisingly difficult to recycle because they are made of paper fused to a plastic lining. So they are technically recyclable, but it’s so difficult to separate the paper from the plastic liner that in reality they are not recycled. And unfortunately the plastic prevents them from being compostable. To their credit Starbucks is trying to figure out a replacement that can be recycled but it is highly challenging, and they have not solved this problem yet. And it is a big waste problem. In 2017, Starbucks sold over 3.8 billion paper cups. That’s enough, laid end to end, to encircle the equator 13 times.
Do you use real gold leaf? Yes, all of the sculptures are leafed with 23 Kt gold or other precious metals like platinum.
More Questions on Plastic
What are some things I can do to reduce my plastic use? Here are a few easy things that can significantly reduce your plastic use and reduce your exposure to microplastics.
1) Get a reusable water bottle and/or coffee mug, and bring it with you. Just say no to disposable beverage containers.
2) Don’t store food in plastic—instead use containers made of glass or metal.
3) Bring reusable grocery and produce bags when shopping.
4) Keep hot food and drinks away from plastic. That includes paper coffee cups (they are lined with plastic) and some brands of tea bags. Never put plastic in the microwave!
5) There are many food, drink, personal care and cleaning products available now that don't use plastic packaging. Give some a try.
If you want to do more, tell your favorite companies/restaurants that you’d like to see them eliminate single-use plastic. Many businesses are sensitive to the plastic issue, and the more they hear from their customers about this, the sooner they will make changes. You can also write to your government representatives.
The plastic crisis is so enormous that one person can’t really make a difference. Why bother to do anything when it seems so hopeless? The truth is that if each of us takes some action, even a small one, it can add up to big change. For example, if every adult in the US used one less disposable coffee cup or water bottle each week, that would eliminate over 10 Billion disposable containers in just a year!
How do you remain hopeful about the situation? The first step in remaining hopeful is to honor and acknowledge the grief and anxiety that come up when I think about the plastic problem. It’s OK and normal to feel that way. A very wise person once told me that “Action absorbs anxiety.” So the next step is to take some action, even a small one. Figuring out a way to address the plastic crisis with my art has been a challenge, yet often an enjoyable one. I’ve met and collaborated with a lot of great people, and have learned a tremendous amount about materials and 3D technology. I have also learned that working together to solve these great problems can be fun and inspiring. That is a long way from the initial hopelessness and anxiety that I felt. If we can come together as a society to clean up our oceans and eliminate plastic waste, we will have something to feel really good about.
What do you think is the long term solution to the plastic crisis? To really solve the problem, we need to turn off the tap and make less plastic to begin with. We also need to figure out how to clean up the plastic that is already contaminating our oceans, soil and air. This is complicated and will require dedicated cooperation between government, business and the public. We are just beginning to understand the adverse health effects of plastic on humans but that may help motivate us to take bigger action sooner. Reusable and compostable packaging are a few solutions we have now that can make a difference right away.
Plastic Oceans Artwork
Why did you start working with plastic? My art has always been focused on the ocean. It is impossible these days to consider the ocean and not think about the plastic pollution problem. Personally I feel heartbroken every time I see a story about the devastation plastic is wreaking on our oceans. Plastic is found in every part of the ocean and it doesn’t go away. It breaks down into micro-plastics, which float, attract toxins, and are eaten by creatures great and small. Seabirds and marine mammals are dying with stomachs filled with plastic trash. The micro-plastics and their associated toxins are ingested by fish, and enter our human food supply. I wanted to do something to help solve this plastic crisis, and thought about ways that I could address it with my art. My intention is to create artworks that increase mindfulness about our plastic use, and inspire people to look at the challenge in a creative way.
Plastic Ocean Lightbox Sculptures
Why did you come up with the idea to make plastic oceans? One of the most disturbing things about the plastic crisis is the sheer amount of plastic in the ocean. Most people have seen photos of rivers of plastic on their way to the sea, and are aware of the Great Pacific Garbage patch, and the four other plastic gyres. There is not a bit of ocean that does not have plastic pollution in it now. I thought that making a literal ocean of plastic would bring this point home. But I didn’t want to contribute to the problem by using more new plastic. Building the sculptures from recycled plastic is meant to encourage the reuse of materials, and be part of the solution. 3-D technology allowed me to make something beautiful and useful from a material that otherwise could have ended up in the ocean.
How do your drawings relate to the light box sculptures? The light box sculptures are based on my drawings of expansive ocean surfaces. Because the drawings are so delicate and difficult to photograph, I have found that a monochromatic oil painting derived from the drawings lends itself better to creating a 3-D model.
How did you make these sculptures? Each one begins with a black and white oil painting of the ocean’s surface. This painted image is then converted to a 3-D digital file and used to carve a relief sculpture on a sheet of recycled HDPE plastic. This plastic has a beautiful translucency which allows the image to come to light when mounted on a light box. These sculptures can be viewed with or without enlightenment.
Why a light box? The sculptures are designed as lithopanes—where the sculpture varies in thickness and is meant to be viewed over a light source. The light will show the design, with the thicker areas being the darkest parts and the thinnest areas being the lightest parts. This is literally an illumination of the issue of plastics in the ocean.
Why LED? They provide consistent light, they last for a really long time and are very energy efficient.
Are they original? Yes. All of the light box sculptures are original and unique. Each is based off of an original oil painting and only one light box sculpture will be created from each painting.
Can I buy one of these oil paintings? Not yet. They will be introduced for sale at my upcoming solo show in 2020. If you are interested in learning more about these paintings, please send me a message.
It’s hard to talk about the ocean these days without mentioning the heart-breaking effects of plastic. Plastic pollution is found in every corner of our oceans, killing wildlife, polluting our food chain, and destroying the health of our oceans. Plastic does not biodegrade. It can photo-degrade into micro plastics, but even these small particles can last for hundreds of years. Most of the plastic trash in our oceans comes from single-use plastic. Despite the fact that most plastic can be recycled, most of it is not. I was shocked to learn that in the USA, only 9% of our plastic waste is actually recycled. The other 91% is incinerated or ends up in landfills or the ocean, further contributing to climate change and pollution.
My artwork blends traditional art techniques with technology to create a contemporary statement about our oceans and plastic. It is designed to bring more mindfulness to the ubiquitous nature of single-use plastic and its effects on our ocean, and the absurdity of creating disposable packaging from a material made to last for centuries. It is also designed to encourage creativity and technology to find ways to re-use and recycle all of this plastic. Let’s make something beautiful from it.