PLASTIC WASTE AS BOTH SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND MEDIUM FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS

Abstract

Amidst the technological, social, economic, and cultural developments of the past few decades, the notorious environmental problem seems to be exacerbated, overshadowing any glimmer of optimism about the future of planet Earth. This is largely attributed to the thoughtless production and use of plastic products, but mainly to their reckless management as waste. Oceans, rivers, lakes, and many terrestrial areas of the planet suffocate under the masses of synthetic objects that displace any form of life. The voices of despair are getting louder and louder all over the world, but governments in many countries pretend to hear nothing. Nevertheless, protest reactions coming from the world art and design community constitute an important visual, functional, as well as a sociopolitical movement with multiple goals.

This article does not simply aim at describing and analyzing the environmental problem through the aggravating presence of plastic waste. Its main purpose is to comment on and decode the works of selected artists from all over the world, works which are exclusively inspired and made of plastic trash. Overall, their work constitutes a form of artistic innovation and, at the same time, a form of severe protest and activism which aims at awakening the world aesthetic, and mainly environmental consciousness.