Jetsam
Sarasota, FL
2017, Senior, Art
Reflection
Reflection
From the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to the general flotsam and jetsam that you’ll find along the coastline, our waste has far-reaching and devastating effects. Broken fishing lines cause ghost fishing, loose plastic bags suffocate sea life, and oil spills wipe out entire habitats. In my painting, I wanted to juxtapose the delicate and graceful nature of the jellyfish with the muck and filth floating inside of it; a collusion between life and death. Pollution does not enhance nature; rather, it diminishes and destroys it. What would otherwise be pristine and abundant is corrupted and can no longer sustain its natural assets. I believe in making art that means something –that catalyzes change, tells a story, and makes a statement. My piece draws attention to the pestilential nature of pollution through its imagery and form, and seeks out a visceral response from the viewer.