Wednesday, April 20, 2011



I'm working on a new project about marine debris and, simultaneously, I am totally inspired but totally depressed. We all *know* we have a trash problem, but the specifics of marine debris can be abstract, especially if you're not actively thinking about or using the ocean or waterways. If you don't encounter marine debris, it's hard to know how bad it really is.

In my research on plastics and what do with it, I came across this beautiful typographic project by Anna Garforth, called Trash Type. I wish our exhibit space was larger; I would have loved to do something like this!

p.s. if you want to know more about marine debris, visit these excellent websites.... it's shocking.
NOAA - Marine Debris
The Plastiki
5 Gyres

2 comments:

Mlle Paradis said...

i posted before xmas about the beautiful book archipelago (litttschwager and middleton) about the far northern hawaiian islands.

they have a passage (and pictures) about a bird, who died because it's system was so full of ingested plastic it could no longer accommodate and digest proper food. effectively, it starved to death. heart rending.

love the "type". great post!

Debi van Zyl said...

it's truly heart-breaking.
and that is just one little bird, there are so many more that have the same fate. you see a lot of albatross dying from this. they fly long distances, and look for food on or just under the sea's surface, and bright colored little piece of plastic looks very edible from above. It's so sad.
I'm going to have to look up that book! Thanks, xo