Reflection

After doing my own experiment and writing a paper about the dangers of plastics and microplastics in water bodies, I was shocked by how penetrative these contaminations are. Phenomenons such as biomagnifications, where microplastics accumulate in every organism whose digestive tracks it passes, make me envision plastic contamination as a tornado, taking every life it sees along its way, sucking life into it, making itself stronger and more dangerous. This imagery gave me the inspiration for my painting. This painting references “The Creation of Adam” by Michelangelo (c. 1508-1512); however, instead of the touch providing the spark of life, the moment that the mass of plastic trash touches the octopus, it will be converted and sucked into the huge “tornado,” becoming part of it as well. The decisive moment brings death, not life. I hope that, after seeing this painting, the irony present in it can make clear the dangers of plastic contamination, and therefore evoke more awareness of the issue.