After the installation day passed I have had an opportunity to discuss this artwork with friends and peers and catch up on some much needed sleep.

When I get a chance to install this work again there are some changes that I will definitely make.  First, I will raise the letters up using my initial idea of cinder-blocks, and fill the bottom of the letters with an abundance of plastic packaging. This will give the piece more volume where it meets the ground and allow the letters to emerge from a sea of plastic. Second, I would like to fill the “ENCE” at the end all the way up with their plastic treatment.  Third, I would add even more plastics to all the letters so the plastics wrap around to the back side, allowing more depth.

I would also consider the place of future installations. The white color of the letters is currently site specific.  I would consider changing this based on each site.  I don’t know what the easiest way to do this is, but any light background would make this piece hard to read from a distance. Perhaps I could create a wall of painted plastics behind it, or I could add some color to the existing letters.

I really enjoyed the drone footage of the piece and will go back and further edit my video.  It was suggested to change up some of my transitions and to possibly add commentary.  I agree with the transitions, but I need to learn how to add commentary.  Commentary would allow me to remove most of the reading from the video and deliver a more pleasing experience to the viewer.

I plan on finding another place to install this piece and will promote it as an event or spectacle to be seen in person, inviting people to sign a petition to ban plastic bags/straws, etc, hand out flyers about ways to live with less plastics,  and

ask them to donate to the installation by bring there plastic problems to the installation.  All single use plastics brought in by viewers will be cleaned and added to the artwork daily.

I typically alter all the plastics I use in my artworks and found it strange to leave the materials raw for this installation.                                                                  I tried to keep any product labels hidden as to not call attention to any one company, because this problem is not any ones fault, but everyone’s.

This experience has taught me more about the power of a community involvement.  Grass roots projects are stepping stones and sparks to revolution and change. However, all ideas and small victories are not the end point, only the beginning. I have learned that through community outreach people will listen, people will help, people will be there. We just need to ask them.

I personally struggle with my rights as a creative being and me justifying why I should be heard as an artist.  I find it difficult to approach galleries and strangers because this creates levels of uncomfortable anxiety.  Most of my exhibits have happened through online submissions.  This work really pushed me beyond my comfort zone, by forcing me to reach out to strangers and speak up for my art.  I will use this experience as a reminder to myself that I am worth it and people are interested in what my art says.

Progress Report

Approval for installation has been granted by the state park officials and the site approved.  I was not granted permission directly on the beach, but one of my secondary options was approved.

Feedback for the installation has been positive, especially with the ambitious scale of the finished work.  Concerns have been made about the white letters not providing enough contrast in a beach setting.  I had worried about that myself.  I estimate that about 70 percent of the lettering will be against a green background and the other 30% may or may not need on site adjustments.  I have purchased a can of dark blue spray paint and once installed on site, if needed contrast can be made by adding some dark areas against the sand.

I will have my nephew operate the drone to take a short video (2-5 minutes) of the artwork.  I think having this perspective of the artwork will be important for documenting the scale of the piece.

As the deadline for installation approaches, I have made a few adjustments to my design.  The Letter “N” took nearly 5 hours to complete, so the remaining letters will not be covered completely. Instead the letters will receive a partial treatment from the bottom up to dive the appearance of being consumed by the plastics. The first three letters will be filled entirely with plastics and the remaining 8 letters will be consumed with less and less plastics as the letters move to the right.  See image below.

I originally wanted to overlay the word consequence over the word convenience to bring further depth to the statement, but I am very concerned about time.

As of 11:00 am on Sunday this is how my letters look.

Below is the prep work completed for the three letter “E’s”.  They will be wrapped as indicated above.

The stitching seems to take the longest and all letters that have been completed need a strategic second layering of items to give a more “full” look to the letters.  I have 20 hours to complete this prior to the install on Tuesday.

Artist Statement Rough Draft

Bullet Points

First, this is an extension of my mid term project. Addressing the growing concerns about the problems plastics are causing in the environment. The majority of the items found polluting the environment are products of convenience.  Single use plastic items should be avoided, yet society is not moving quickly enough to decrease the amount of plastic products being consumed daily.  The consequences of these convenient items has not been completely resolved.

• Pull some current statics about the plastic problem
• Construction:  wood sub structure: basic building supplies, sewed and ties together as the products are woven and tied into our daily lives.  In order for humans to decrease these plastic footprint they need to not only learn ways to reduce consumption of these products, but also to find sustainable alternatives to the commonly used product.
• Assembly: employed help of neighbors, family, and friends.
• Plastic contributions:  asked for people I associate with to donate plastics. By asking people to bring me there plastic trash, not only do they become a part of the artwork, but they also become more aware of using plastics in there life
• Installation Day:  World Environment day is June 5, and the theme this year is Beat plastics pollution.  Help of Sister and niece.  Nephew will bring his drone to video for me.
• Plastics:  nearly 1,00o pieces of one time use plastics were used in the making of this work. over 200 plastic bags, over three hundreds bottle caps and lids,   ___plastic drinking bottles, product packaging.
• Help in making this installation ages 3-80
• What happens day of event, how long was set up, did anything need to be altered, challenges,
• It too the many people to make this happen, thank-you
• Reflection on experience