Pacific Garbage Patch(work)

B. Lynn Tubbe

41 x 35 inches

2018

ARTIST STATEMENT

This piece reflects my concern for our Pacific Ocean and its huge “garbage patch” filled with plastic and trash. 80,000 metric tons floating between Hawaii and California, it has become an ugly monster. The debris abandoned by fishermen and the plastic trash discarded by nations bordering the Pacific are killing wildlife, polluting our ocean, and fouling our beaches. Recently a dead whale was found to have over 1000 pieces of plastic in its stomach, and videos of rescuers cutting creatures free from entangled fishing lines are wrenching to watch.

My little fish, curious about the plastic garbage around it, may suffer the same fate.

By raising our awareness of the dangers of plastic, which does not decompose, I hope solutions can be found for this menace to the Pacific Ocean and, indeed, our entire planet.

MATERIALS

Sun printed and hand dyed fabrics, hand dyed cheesecloth, commercial fabrics, fabric paint, cotton and polyester threads, cotton batting, upcycled items of plastic less than .5 inches deep

GUIDE BY CELL NUMBER

To hear the artist speak about the artwork, call (703) 520-6404 and enter 2211 followed by the # sign.