Eve Coope

Throughout the plastic project I was influenced to explore the idea of fast fashion and the way mass consumerism has impacted ecosystems. Researching the idea of environmental hazards, and the increase of garment production, I was able to direct my studies and successfully achieve an outcome which embedded an array of thought-provoking concepts.

From the beginning I was drawn to the conceptual idea of suffocation, inspired by the ‘Drowning in Plastics’ documentary which explored the relationships between human waste and its interactions with sea animals. This began my initial project development where I conducted an array of independent research into the consumption of plastic, which revealed that from 2000 to 2015 the production of fashion has doubled, implying that fast fashion is having an irreversible effect on the environment - an idea explored by ‘Get Green Now’ as seen on their sustainable online site. After this insight I began conducting primary artist research into Laura Anne Marsden who looks at the idea of plastic mediums and transforms them into usable materials. This inspired my initial plastic manipulation, where I experimented with an array of clear plastics. I feel this research was crucial to the development of my project as it highlighted the importance of working with permanent plastic waste, as this tackles the issue of overconsumption directly. Similarly this research enabled me to move away from my first, quite restrictive idea of creating a ‘headpiece’ which linked directly to the idea of suffocation, and instead allow me to develop the brief in a less literal and more figurative way. This resulted in my experimentation of plastic wallets and exploration of colour, to link with the idea of plastic within oceans, as discussed within ‘I news’ online which suggested that our planet poses threats such as rising sea levels, warming oceans and chemical pollution. This resulted in my introduction of blue packaging plastic as it connotes the ocean and links back to the idea of suffocating ocean plastics.

Combining my explorations using a double exposure technique, digitally manipulating the images allowed me to create a personal and figurative response to the plastic project brief, which links back to the idea of mass consumption through my use of colours and depiction of suffocation.