Katie Sturgess

Over the course of this project my aim was to address the issue of plastic pollution that is choking our planet and causing havoc on our environment and wildlife. I wanted to precisely illustrate the fact that this consumerist plastic is taking over the world.

After discovering the true extent of the plastic issue, through my research, I decided for week two, to illustrate my visual imagery purely with technological means, therefore I would not waste any materials in the process of making my art.

I started off week one by researching Richard and Judith Lang’s art. The true extent of the plastic pollution on the beach of Kehoe, North California, essentially shocked me into choosing this perspective of the plastic problem. My fear of the plastic issue was reinforced when I watched ‘Drowning in Plastics’ documentary as part of my research. It felt like we are being invaded by plastic, and that is exactly the point I wanted to illustrate. During the second week of the plastic project, I decided to find an artist who had created plastic in the natural world. I found Alejandro Durán. His unique work combining plastic into the natural world was amazing but also alarming. If this is what he has interpreted, plastic as an interlinked part of nature, then something really has to be done to stop it. This sense of urgency of the impending doom reminded me of an apocalyptic atmosphere, so I did some visual research on apocalypse movie posters to gain a broader understanding.

I am pleased with my final outcome as I believe it illustrates my point well, that plastic is taking over the planet. Throughout all of my research during this project, especially watching the documentary ‘Drowning in Plastics’, I was incredibly moved by the amount of plastic pollution. This scary revelation inspired me to illustrate this imminent danger through the use of menacing characters. They are eye-catching enough to attract attention to the image and then onto the plastic problem. I want people to be as shocked and concerned about this danger as I am.