These art works are made from 90% trash. This refuse is garbage thrown-away by people. Most of the trash is found on the beach in Southern California and also on the streets in Los Angeles and Ventura where I live. I find most of the plastic items on the beach. There are too many bottle caps, plastic bags, bottles, plastic junk, and toys children leave behind. It is totally mind blowing! People actually visit the beach, eat a full meal from Mac Donald’s and throw away all the paper and plastic that is left over right upon the beach. Beer cans and cigarette butts everywhere! What’s wrong with this? RECYCLING ANYONE? Does anyone care? It sure makes me wonder? We are killing our ocean and the life within it. We are interconnected with our planet and it’s eco system, so in essence we are killing ourselves and our children. Enough is enough. Please pick up your dog shit!
The found trash, plus one or two discards from a thrift store, is arranged in an artistic composition within a hand constructed Plexiglas box, then sealed or melded together using clear fiberglass resin. The boxes range in size from approximately four inches by four inches, to eight inches by eight inches (being the largest in this series). These boxes are put together with care as both eye candy and informational metaphors. I intend for this work to be entertaining and to convey a message. The message is hope because everyday I see another person picking up trash from the beach. Hope because all things thrown away can be recycled, reused and transformed into something else. There are companies now that are grinding used tires and making highways with this material. There are people in Africa making crafts and useable goods from discarded computer parts, rubber, and plastics. There may even be hope that the huge gas lobby group will one day cave in and allow the use of vegetable and other alternative oils. This only makes sense.
I admire people like the Dali Lama who dedicate themselves to doing good and bringing positive change into this world. I hope that in a very small way that my efforts will add just a little to this wave of positive energy. If I persuade one person to stop and pick up some trash from the street someday then I feel I have done my job. Everything changes and trash can be transformed into good. Please help this effort.
All works range from 3.5” to 7” cubed. Contact artist for details at visualpilot@hotmail.com