Jay Finnis

The plastics industry within the context of pollution is inseparable from the crude oil industry as plastic is a derivative of crude oil. Whilst the issue of plastic pollution is vast and horrific, we are used to being constantly surrounded by plastics in every aspect of our lives, therefore I chose to communicate the concept of pollution using visuals representative of oil, rather than using plastic directly within my outcomes for this project.

Exploring methods of binding using fallen sticks collected from Loughborough University Campus and coating parts in black wood varnish implies the damage done to animals and ecosystems by oil spills. To inform my work, I researched artists whose work echoes the visceral and suffocating nature of petrochemical pollution, such as Cornelia Parker’s ‘Cold Dark Matter’ and ‘Puddle’, Jim Lambie’s eye collages, Louise Bourgeois’ ‘Spider (Cell)’ and Dafna Talmor’s photography collages.

There are few naturally occurring materials that appear like crude oil and bitumen, therefore my decision to use media that imitates the smothering thickness of oil spills is effective and emotive. The industrial exploitation of petroleum reservoirs is the root cause of plastic pollution, and the petrochemical industry as a whole and all its products are causing a catastrophic impact on the health of the planet. In 2021, there were six oil tanker spills and an average of 10,000 tonnes of oil was released into the ocean. For my final outcome for the Plastics project, I constructed six forms of sticks bound together and partially coated with wood varnish which were arranged in a circular composition to represent each oil spill from 2021. The wood varnish forms a layer covering the bark of the sticks completely whilst retaining textural details, such as plant matter or sharp broken ends, producing the visceral and suffocating tone that I aimed for. Several of the sticks used were covered in lichen and the visual and symbolic juxtaposition between the living elements and black varnish in my installation, mimicking the microcosmic of the contrast between plastic or oil pollution and nature.