Words from the Episode Artists, before and after the plastic-free challenge~more will be posted as they come in! Come see the art on June 5, 6-8 p.m. at the RE:Vision Gallery at SCRAP, 2915 NE MLK in Portland, Oregon. There will be snacks, great art, a raffle and cutting edge conversation. Here is the Post-Project statement from Laurie Ewing:
Pre-project statement: My background is in the visual arts. I have worked with artists in galleries and frame shops for many years along with making my own art which has included B&W photography of ghost towns and other abandoned placed and more recent mixed media pieces. Deep core beliefs caused me to drastically alter the course of my life by going back to school majoring in Environmental Studies and Sociology.
As I prepare to graduate I feel certain that I can integrate my past in the arts with a future addressing how civilization affects the environment. As an artist, my most recent work comprises layers of used materials adhered together. Pieces may contain old photos, notes, advertising, string, keys, and many other small treasures. They are often partially concealed, revealing aspects such as texture and shape; often something of a pattern occurs.
Along with graduation I am simultaneously preparing to move to Portland. Though I will miss my Eugene, I am excited for the opportunities that await me in my new home. I have been utilizing the internet to become familiar with the organizations I would like to become involved with.
This project with LNPB combines just the elements I have described above. Though it will be difficult in terms of the distance, I feel that I can also act as an agent for spreading the message further. The piece or pieces I in envision creating for this project involve plastic bags and my sewing machine. I became aware of the magnitude of waste from plastic bags as well as the alternatives, while writing a proposal for a plan to implement a per bag fee for the city of Eugene as a final paper for a class. Part of my effort over the duration of this art project will be to find out how to take my plan, in the form of a student paper and submit it to the city as a genuine proposal.
Post Project statement: What an incredible journey the last three months of my life have been. For me the LNPB project feels like it has been a miserable failure. Interestingly, that is both what is bad and what is good about it. I realized that given my present lifestyle, as a full-time student and single-parent, I couldn’t reduce my plastic consumption much more than I already had. I asked myself why that was and I came to two separate conclusions.
The first was simple, I had already been making efforts in that area by using reusable cups and bags, and limiting purchases that include wasteful packaging. The second was more illuminating, that alternatives to plastic containers and packaging are seldom made available. And, further, that there is limited access to bulk items that I could fill my own containers with. How did people get by before plastic packaging? All this reminded me that consumer sovereignty is one of the biggest jokes in capitalism. For each one of us, the choices we make as consumers are limited to the options that have been made available.
Where I experienced the most success was at cleaning and saving most all the plastic that came through my possession. As a result my experience of plastic packaging is very different than it was before. Keeping it and seeing it accumulate is brilliant! Because I compost, recycle and seldom eat meat, I had almost no trash for the three months of this project. Otherwise stated, almost all the trash my daughter and I produce is non-recyclable plastic packaging. Non-recyclable where? Curbside. We found that we can actually take much of it where it can be recycled at the waste transfer station in Eugene and at another location in Portland. This begs the question why is this not available with home recycling service?
Creating these little art pieces has been inspiring. My daughter and I sifted through all the materials and had lots of fun exploring the possibilities. The pieces I present here are what I imagined from the beginning; quilt squares of sorts, made from plastic, thread and a few treasures mixed in. It was interesting to use a sewing machine on plastic bags, a very different tactile experience. I chose to use dark red thread throughout the pieces for effect, red as a warning symbol.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this project. Thank you LNPB!
