The Art of Plastic Pollution: Creating Awareness Through Community Engagement

Abstract

Plastic pollution has become an unprecedented crisis that most people contribute to unconsciously because they lack awareness and understanding of the problem. To raise consciousness the artist completed a creative project that called attention to plastic pollution. Sculptures were created from plastic trash collected by a community. Engaging a community in the process of making art reinforces the message and reduces the use of plastic. The project’s research reveals the use of trash in the creation of art, and demonstrates that the aesthetic appeal of art summons a wider audience than the facts and figures of science.