 |
|
|
Plastiquarium
jump to : GALLERY
The Plastiquarium is immersed in mystery. Modern myth suggests that a century of increasing phosphate levels in Earth's marine environment caused new, synthetic life forms to emerge. As recyclable HDPE plastic containers spread concentrates of consumer product pollutants, the Plastiquarium creatures evolved in the image of their packaging forbearers.
As a sculptor, my work has always been strongly informed by the 20th century tradition of found object assembly. Perhaps, in the context of a mid-life catharsis, I recently interrupted over 25 years of working in steel, and began making decorative artworks from recyclable detergent bottles. With quality of craft as an important issue for me, I find that making recycled plastic art truly energizes my creative spirit. One of the results is the marine creatures of the Plastiquarium.
Considering the development of this new artwork, I realize that there are a number of recognizable influences that place the work into the context of a larger continuum. The Plastiquarium certainly fits within the genre of collage and found-object assembly. The American Pop Art movement, particularly the work of Andy Warhol, validates the use of commercial packaging images as symbolic elements characterizing our producer/consumer society. More recently, a folk art tradition of crafting toys and collectable decorative objects out of aluminum beverage cans has emerged in Africa and Asia.
Click on the thumbnails below to view the full-size image in a separate window.
Title |
Thumbnail |
Dimensions |
Yellow-Finned Cascader |
 |
17 x 35 x 3 |
Barb-Tailed Electra |
 |
18 x 47 x 5 |
Shimmering Red Runner |
 |
19 x 24 x 2.5 |
Big Blue-Sailed Pinkie |
 |
17 x 36 x 3.5 |
Shimmering Swallow-Tailed Gainer |
 |
18 x 35 x 6 |
Crescent-Tailed Red Cruiser |
 |
22.5 x 49 x 6 |
Snub-Nosed Green Feeder |
 |
21 x 36 x 4 |
Green-Tailed Rainbow Feeder |
 |
22 x 47 x 4.5 |
Freddy |
 |
14 x 9 x 24 |
Bluetail Reef Cruiser |
 |
23 x 36 x 5 |
Easter Fish |
 |
23 x 42 x 6 |
Red-Tailed Cascader |
 |
25 x 50 x 6 |
Yellow-Tailed Darting Feeder |
 |
10 x 30 x 3 |
Bubble-Bellied Tide Feeder |
 |
22 x 38 x 4 |
Lace-Finned Bluebelly |
 |
19 x 32 x 3 |
Fancy-Fin Reef Feeder |
 |
15 x 28 x 3 |
Madras Flutterfish |
 |
19 x 31 x 4 |
Lace-Finned Tide Feeder |
 |
19 x 30 x 3 |
Red-Headed Bubble Belly |
 |
13 x 29 x 4 |
Crimson-Headed Triple Tail |
 |
13 x 26 x 4 |
Goggle-Eyed Swallowtail |
 |
19 x 29 x 2 |
Big Bug-Eyed Gainer |
 |
19 x 38 x 4 |
Pin-Finned Reef Runner |
 |
14 x 26 x 3 |
Goggle-Eyed Gainer |
 |
14 x 26 x 5 |
Tide-Finned Arm & Hammerhead |
 |
16 x 21 x 3 |
Scallop-Tailed Tide Diver |
 |
11 x 19 x 1.5 |
Fish Pins |
 |
2 - 3 inches |
Big Lobster |
 |
10 x 18 x 33 |
Fantasy Crab |
 |
8 x 11 x 10 |
Green Fiesta Jellyfish Lamp |
 |
15 x 5 x 7 |
Large Blue Jellyfish Lamp |
 |
23 x 7 x 10 |
Pink and Aqua Jellyfish Lamp |
 |
12 x 8 x 12 |
Big Drifter |
 |
30 x 16 x 16 |
Jellyfish Lamp |
 |
23 x 10 x 9 |
Anemone Lamp |
 |
10 x 7 x 5 |
Rainbow Snuggeel |
 |
8 x 84 x 9 |
Snuggle Serpent |
 |
10 x 69 x 6 |
Plastizoic Bison |
 |
15.5 x 10 x 20 |
Plastizoic Genesis Creature |
 |
48 x 16 x 11 |
Reef Floral Details |
 |
N/A |
Insidious Network |
 |
Rowe Gallery, UNCC, Jan-Feb 2008 |
Avian Form |
 |
11 x 14 x 5 |
Pink-Eyed Terror |
 |
15 x 24 x 4
|
Dunce's Dilemma |
 |
16 x 8.25 x 4 |
Royal Clockhead |
 |
15 x 14 x 4 |
Angry Young Man |
 |
12 x 11 x 7 |
Bird Brain |
 |
15 x 15 x 9 |
Diablo's Dilemma |
 |
16 x 7 x 4.5 |
Googler |
 |
15 x 11 x 4 |
Regal Ancestor Helmet |
 |
14 x 21 x 6 |
Super Hero Helmet |
 |
11 x 14 x 14 |
The Big Mouth |
 |
15 x 20 x 5 |