The banning of plastic straws in restaurants by cities, businesses, and now the state of California has brought the crisis of the ocean's plastic pollution to the forefront. However, before this trend began, Angela Pozzi founded her organization Washed Ashore in 2010 to raise awareness of this ongoing crisis by creating sculptures from plastic debris found on the beach. These sculptures, which have been featured in institutions across the country, are massive. To me, the size of these pieces not only indicates a plethora of material, reflecting the magnitude of the problem of pollution, but also intimidates the onlooker, forcing him or her to confront the reality of the pollution crisis, especially as the viewer witnesses the animal as a victim of the pollution. Furthermore, the fact that people created these sculptures parallels how people have created the problem of pollution, yet the beauty of these sculptures suggests a hopeful message that even though man created this problem, man can restore the ocean to its former beauty. Just as the artist intentionally places each piece of debris on the sculpture, man can take intentional steps to reduce and potentially eliminate plastic pollution.
Do you agree that these sculptures are effective in promoting awareness of plastic pollution in the ocean? Why or why not? Do you have a different analysis of how these sculptures represent the ongoing pollution crisis? Could something be added to these sculptures to make their message more poignant?
In the video, Pozzi mentions how she wants “to reach different populations” through her artwork. So far, her sculptures have mostly been exhibited in aquariums and other nature/marine-orientated educational institutions, but where else could these sculptures be displayed to accomplish her goal? Moreover, was there anything else that struck you in the video?
I think this is a really cool way to raise awareness about ocean plastics. First of all, the artist is removing some plastic from the ocean and is then able to use that clean up as a way to visually engage the public in her mission.
ReplyDeleteIt's really great that these are exhibited in child-heavy places (ie. aquariums) because it helps instill environmental stewardship in children from a young age and will help them care about the environment in adulthood. However, we need to act now, not in 25+ years when these kids are adults. These sculptures should be displayed outside of governmental buildings, particularly ones in which a case/hearing/project about ocean pollution is held.
I think these are incredibly efficient in promoting awareness of the plastic/pollution problems people are speaking out about. Art has always been an effective and brilliant way to shed light on the issues within society. Think Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale, the novel that covers problems of feminism to environment exploitation. These sculptures are MASSIVE and they have used literal tons of waste to create the series and that alone should shock audiences. In terms of analysis/symbolism, I think you nailed it - these represent beauty and destruction in a unified manner to show that like most of society's problems, this too can be overcome (or at least significantly improved) with time and dedication to slowly restore our environment.
ReplyDeleteI think itd be interesting to display these in public parks, or college campuses, where there are constant cycles of visitors as well as a variety of people in terms ages/genders/races that would be exposed to her work.
I was personally struck by the utter lack of any additions to the trash she collected for her work. The colors are kind of incredible and really do create a true representation of how there is a crazy amount of plastic in the ocean - it is not just the straws, bags, and can holders (not sure what those things that keep like soda cans together are called) that we always hear about. Also, as an artist and potential ES major, I am pretty inspired by her work and dedication and incredible creativity. Solid find.
I think this is an amazing way to promote awareness about the plastic pollution in the ocean because all of her materials are debris. I cannot believe she has made 66 different sculptures of sea creatures from all the plastic she has collected. These sculptures should be displayed in aquariums, publics parks, or somewhere were there is a lot of traffic because I think her message would be heard and seen by a large group of individuals. Growing up with a mother who is an art teacher, I have been exposed to a lot of sculptures that are trying to convey a message, but none have affected me the way Angela Pozzi’s has because I guess they have never hit so close to home since I live near the ocean. This was a great find Abigail!
ReplyDeleteThis video was extremely interesting and informative!! I believe this idea is a very effective way of informing the public about the use of plastic while also cleaning up the ocean. Also, I think it is great the Costa helped advertise the artwork to increase the impact of the message. In the video, I thought it was interesting how Pozzi said that they never color any of the plastic for their artwork. This shows just how much plastic humans create and use on a daily basis, if Pozzi can find different colors of plastic for making her artwork. Placing these sculptures at restaurants or resorts near beaches could be useful in spreading the impact and problem of plastic use to specifically help prevent it from accumulating on beaches.
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ReplyDeleteThese sculptures serve as a very powerful tool to teach about the detrimental amount of waste in our oceans today. The size of these sculptures shows just how much waste can be found on our beaches today. This video goes to show how important it is to do your part in reducing waste, as she and her volunteers have picked up over 17 tons of garbage from beaches and produced over 66 pieces of art from this waste. I think displaying these sculptures in aquariums is a good decision, as it is important to teach kids from a young age how their actions can have a large impact on the environment, both good and bad.
I really liked this video! I think her use of plastic to form sculptures targets a whole new community that environmentalists may not have been able to reach through their normal means. I think one way to make these works of art really hit home for the places that she displays them is to try placing sculptures in towns of places where she actually collected the trash; however, this could prove really difficult, since she only uses materials she finds and doesn’t color them. Also, she may already do this, but she didn’t specify how she chooses where she places her works of art other than community organizations coming into touch with her. Overall, I think this is a very creative way to show how much plastic is discarded and how it hurts the environment by ending up in places like the ocean.
ReplyDeleteI was very impressed by the creativity and effectiveness of this strategy for addressing this pressing issue. The magnitude of materials is honestly astounding and the size/complexity of the sculptures really helps one to visualize how much plastic is wasted. I 100% agree that these types of sculptures need to be displayed in a wider variety of spaces in order to make a substantial difference. I think it would be really cool to see them displayed around cities because I think this would help draw a lot of attention to them and therefore spread awareness. Additionally, I think it could be extremely effective to have some installed on/near beaches to hold people accountable and encourage them to take action to avoid further destruction of the beaches.
ReplyDeleteI find these sculptures to be a smart way to raise awareness. I think it is especially brilliant at stimulating thought about global pollution among children at these aquariums. However, Pozzi's sculptures bring attention specifically to beach pollution. I recognize that this is HER goal, but in reality it focuses on a miniscule contributor to pollution. As I'm sure most people have read at this point, or knew previously, it is less the pollution of common people that is leading to the global climate crisis, and more the industries and the management of them. If Pozzi adapts to this perspective, and thinks of a method to incorporate this in some way (brand names on the sculpture material, maybe) she should include something according to the thought of the previously stated data. This way, Pozzi can insight young children to learn more about this, and cause them to question the morality of these big businesses. Continuing, I feel Pozzi's artwork could be represented among street art to reach a broader group of people, even those who avidly avoid the discussion of the climate crisis.
ReplyDeleteThis idea is incredibly unique and speaks volumes on the issue of plastic pollution without stirring up rancorous feelings (unlike more proactive approaches). They act as perfect microcosms of the state of pollution and make those that see them think deeply about their own impact. The fact that they are aimed at children also works in their favor. As one grows older, they often become much more set in their ways, but a child's beliefs are still malleable and fluid. To further their impact, they could place them within restaurants, schools, and other such highly trafficked areas. This way, the general public could see them, and they could passively start to change people's minds (or at the very least, start conversations).
ReplyDeleteArt has always been the most effective medium to convey contemporary issues to the public. It is for this reason that I must commend Pozzi for her artistic effort. If I were to make any recommendations on how to improve the efficacy of the sculptures’ message, it would be to put a greater emphasis on the environmental hazard that the waste material produces. The sculpture’s colorful and pleasing appearance undermines the otherwise grim theme of pollution that is trying to be produced. As for reaching out to a wider audience, placing the sculptures next to prominent seashores would allow for beachgoers to realize the impact of pollution on their favorite recreational area. What stood out to me the most in the video was Pozzi saying how she “Would really like to run out of art supplies,” as it highlights her commitment to reducing pollution, even if it is at her own expense.
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