Monday, March 19, 2007

1 in household

I have been asked more than once why I don't visualize the average trash usage for a family of five. It has even been suggested that we are odd candidates for this project since we already make an effort to reduce waste by recycling and composting (most of the time), as well as by adding labor to our daily activities such as washing our zip-lock baggies. I came to this project in two ways. First, by realizing many works I admire are by artists that engage in projects that address local needs. I began looking into the work of Dan Peterman. The idea of providing opportunities for social engagement by altering waste products seemed a natural marriage. Why not turn every abandoned and broken shopping cart into a place to sit in communities that are regularly denied park benches? Transforming discarded plastic into a 100 foot long picnic bench was an elegant transformation of waste into social opportunity.

It was around this time that I was making hundreds of rosettes out of plastic wrap. While making dinner I peeled the plastic-wrap off of a mushroom package and was about to throw it away when I realized I WAS THROWING AWAY THE VERY ART MATERIALS I NEEDED. This project was conceived in that moment. I wanted a model for artmaking that not only reduced the costs of materials for artists, but that set up a structure that strongly implicated the self in the choice of what materials we accumulate and throw away. This project highlights the consequences of every commercial action I make. I have to choose to accept or reject every piece of trash that goes through my house.


Idea: I think I can make rope from plastic. For the longer project, I can make a year long length of rope that will visualize my inability to control plastic waste. The passive collection of plastic is huge. I am currently wrapping more plastic windows from junk mail that any other single item. The paper from the envelopes is being made back into paper but the plastic windows I'm stuck with. Not only that, the New York Times comes in a lovely red plastic bag every morning.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Trying to be "good" while away from the house is really really hard when everyone else you live with gives you weird looks when you complain about paper towels.