Point Wilson Artifacts

2022

Medium:  Archival Pigment Print
Dimensions: 16" x 20"

I recently spent time on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. The artifacts that I discovered washed up on the beaches were rich in color, form, and texture. These ocean remnants contain marine life & trash that have taken on a new identity together on the beach. Sometimes they are unrecognizable from their original form. Formerly living in the sea, they transform in color
& shape when displaced from their natural habitat, much like human trash does in the ocean. Beachcombers search the shoreline for things of value. Yet much of what the sea washes up is strangely unusual and not considered valuable. I collected, photographed, and digitally collaged these items into new environments. Removing them from the beach leads to questions about what they are and where they originated. Marine life out of water/trash in water is difficult to identify. On flat fields of color, their hues change in intensity. Placed with other unidentifiable debris, they form new relationships with one another in a different environment.

Debris Collage

2019

Medium:  heat fused plastic bags & wraps, coloraid
Dimensions: 12" x 12"
Plastic packaging waste is a common side effect of consumerism. It lacks value beyond its limited use. It takes just minutes to use but will survive indefinitely in the environment. This collage series captures the bits and pieces of plastic artifacts leftover from human consumption. The word “artifact” has many meanings... “any object made by human beings; a handmade object characteristic of an earlier time or cultural stage; any mass-produced, usually inexpensive object reflecting contemporary society.” Plastics represent the eternal artifacts of our current society. They never biodegrade – surviving for centuries in landfills, contaminating oceans and endangering species.

Plastic Poufs, Plastic Shower

2011

Medium:  fused plastic grocery and newspaper bags
Dimensions: 4' x 9' x 5', Plastic Shower Installation (right): 36" circumference x 12'
The lightweight, beach ball-like, soft, brightly colored poufs inevitably evoke whimsy & curiosity. Through reclaiming plastic bags, heat fusing and then sewing this plastic material, these works explore the use of plastic as product rather than simply a by-product of our daily consumption.