Qianna Nelson Q1 Benchmark

Posted by Qianna Nelson in Art - Senior Art - Hull on Thursday, November 4, 2010 at 11:18 pm

Artist Statement:

In art class we have been learning about plastic and how plastic is effecting our world as a whole. Plastic is not bio-degradable so it takes 1,000 years to decompose, but since we use so much plastic that process is basically irrelevant to us. Animals in the ocean eat the plastic and the plastic gets into there system. Take fish for example, the fish eat the plastic and we then catch the fish and eat the fish so now the plastic is in our body. Also mammals such as turtles, sea lions, and other sea creatures get caught in the plastic and they can suffocate or they even have to live with that plastic on them forever.

For our first project we collected bottle caps and we also made posters asking people to collect bottle caps. We collected bottle caps to give to a artist Aurora who does bottle cap art. She created many structures using plastic bottles and there caps. That to me is a way of making people aware of the plastic problem that is now plaguing our world and it shows people how they can do something with there plastic besides simply throwing them away. Which brings me to my project, I like doing things that make people aware and may eventually cause them to get involved with helping, or making things that simple make them think deeper into different things.

For my project I created a globe and in the water section of the world I put bottle caps in it to show how the plastic is going into our ocean. I then put animals around it with them saying little things asking humans to stop all the plastic littering and explaining how it is effecting them. To do this I used a ball, paper mâche, paint, glue, bottle caps, pencils, a box, and paper. I paper mâcheed the ball once the paper mâche dried I drew shapes to show where the land is, I then painted the ball green and blue. I got a box and painted the box black, the box is being used as a platform for the ball to rest in and that is where I placed the animals. Once the paint on the ball dried I glued the bottle caps on but only where the water is.

I really hope that when people see my project they will take into consideration the effect plastic is having on our world and on us in general. Because our individual actions are effecting our world as a whole. I hope that this will inspire people to take action and get together and find other uses for the plastic that we have in this world because it isn't going anywhere and we have to live with it forever.

"Is this water sanitary? It looks questionable to me..."

The Process: