N'Cognita
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
The fragmented broken beauty and patina of broken and discarded objects and fragments has always been a fascination to me. Much like the Japanese tradition of Wabi-sabi that embraces the imperfections and transience of objects, I embrace the plastic that contains and covers objects but is discarded for it is no longer of use. I am reusing these plastic discards and from them, creating sculptural objects to bring attention to all the plastic and packaging that goes unnoticed and is discarded. The “Evil Plastic Blues” are my way of utilizing the aesthetics of Wabi-sabi in my own way, by seeing the beauty of plastic’s physicality and uselessness and then saving it from becoming the plastic gyres filling the oceans, killing the coral and sea creatures who think it is food.
The intent of these sculptural assemblages is to highlight the environmental impact of plastic pollution by transforming them into objects that we might want to save and that give a sense of beauty, while still reminding us of their origins. This most recent work is intended as another reminder of the pervasiveness of discarded plastic detritus that is filling the oceans. Plastic is used to make positive and useful objects, but plastic discards have reached a critical point where it is said that 90% of natural water contains microscopic plastic particles. Consequently, I have also created 2 series of small wall reliefs and small sculptures made entirely of upcycled plastic discards. Produce containers and other plastic throwaways are distorted, painted and composed into artworks. Some of these works have been shown in New York City as well as in Osle, Norway & Worcester, Massachusetts and my hope is that you will invite me to show them to new audiences. I feel they convey an important message about the environmental challenge and dilemma of our excessive use of discardable plastic.
The genesis for me was in 2014, when the pervasiveness of plastic's impact crystallized even further. I recall an entry in my diary on August 24, 2014—"Plastic in the air & everywhere! The water, the bellies of sea creatures & birds." Though I know I can't save the world with art alone, I firmly believe in the power of art to ignite change. My past work, “the Endless Junkmail Scroll” was a 400 foot long scroll created from junk mail that sought to expose but one example of the wastefulness of modern life, but now my focus has shifted to an even more insidious problem—plastic. Our world is drowning in it, and it has become my primary medium for expression.
I am driven by a deep concern for the environment, and my art is my tool for advocacy. With every piece I create, I attempt to breathe life into discarded materials, transforming trash into works of art. I explore chance connections by making art of lowly materials, of beautiful detritus and use my art to serve as an example of creative re-use and upcycling. Through upcycling and creative reuse, my work challenges our relationship with waste, urging us to rethink how we interact with the world around us.
My early iterations of "Plasticism" took the form of bas relief collages created from vacuum-formed plastic packaging. These plastic forms, fragmented and irregular, coalesced into compositions that spoke to the chaotic interplay between our lives and the pervasiveness of plastic detritus, finally becoming a wall installation titled “The Shape of Things Here & Gone”. In this installation, plastic forms are the ghosts of the objects that were once housed in them and serve as a reminder of the overabundance of material objects that continue to clog our lives and our environments. Using these materials to make art is an attempt to address the problem, not offer solutions for that is something that requires the efforts of all.
Official Website: http://www.ncognita.com
LINKS: http://thedorseypost.com/?p=839 “How Not To Order The Most Expensive Item” The Dorsey Post. Dec 7, 2011
http://thedorseypost.com/?p=1137 “Invisibility Made Visible” The Dorsey Post. Feb 20, 2012