Plasticosis

Plasticosis is an immersive installation featuring eight seven-foot-long silk cyanotype panels and a floor cushion wrapped in a 5x7-foot cyanotype fabric print. These works reveal the haunting beauty of plastic debris collected from Vancouver’s shorelines. The title references the first disease named by scientists, caused solely by the ingestion of plastics which is affecting seabird populations around the world.
Inspired by Anna Atkins, the pioneering 19th-century photographer who used cyanotypes to document sea algae, I reimagine her method to photograph the remnants of human consumption. What was once a celebration of nature now bears witness to its decline.
The installation invites viewers to step into an immersive, contemplative space, lying on the floor and gazing upward. This experience offers a visceral confrontation with the reality of our plastic-laden existence.

A multigenerational effort was integral to the creation of this work. My three-year-old daughter helped create several of the panels alongside me, while my grandmother meticulously sewed all the textiles. Together, this collaborative endeavor forms a shared plea for the implementation of a Global Plastics Treaty.

NONRETURNABLES, Two Rivers Gallery, Prince George, BC, 2023