25/04/2022
Installation of “Spirit of the Sea”
For NASNEO series of events at the National Art School
I would like to invite you all to come celebrate my first official sculptural installation, commissioned for NASNEO at the National Art School,
Anytime Monday to Saturday or during the NASNEO series of events on Thursday nights fro. 6-10pm
Here is an image of my work activated by the wind
ARTIST STATEMENT Artist: Dune Surf
Sculpture :Spirit of the Sea
Medium: Low Density Polyethylene with a percentage of reclaimed ocean plastics.
In creating this work, the plight of our waterways and oceans was foremost in my mind, The work was designed as an outdoor installation, to either be activated by the breeze (suspended from a branch) or submerged in water and activated by currents. This work also works well in a ventilated gallery where visitors can move through, observe from below and from a distance.
Its resemblance to Kelp has been achieved by the manipulation of every piece of the plastic. The bags were cut into strips that have been stretched and extruded by hand. Offering a vast diversity of textures, that collectively resemble a living organism.
The aural aspect of the sculpture is gentle and soothing as it rustles in the breeze, adding another dimension to the work.
Working with plastic was a considered and very deliberate process, drawing attention to man's constant destruction of the planet, through mining, industry, pollution, litter, and desecration of the organism we call earth. When you view this work, I want you to consider what it is we can do to save the oceans and the diversity of life on this planet and what alternatives there are to plastics.
Considering the environment and paying respect to country, to life, that was, is and always will be. it is important to acknowledge that the materials used in this sculpture derived from fossil fuel crude. Most of the fossil fuel material we use today comes from algae, bacteria, and plants—some of which date back even before the Devonian Period, 419.2 million to 358.9 million years ago.
*At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year. Plastic debris is currently the most abundant type of litter in the ocean, making up 80% of all marine debris found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. Plastic is found on the shorelines of every continent, with more plastic waste found near popular tourist destinations and densely populated areas.
*[https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/marine-plastic-pollution]
