John Dahlsen

“Humanity is at a critical point in time, with our planet currently existing in a fragile ecological state, with global warming hastening unheard of changes, all amplifying the fact that we need all the help we can get.”

–  John Dahlsen

Gold Coast (year unknown), made from plastics found on Australian beaches

Creating his artwork out of found objects from the sands of the Australian coastline,  contemporary Artist John Dahlsen beautifully highlights many universal environmental themes using a variety of mediums. He largely uses plastics in his artwork to draw attention to the poor global ecological state of pollution. These plastics and other found objects are each affected by sun, sand and the ocean, their form faded and rounded by the elements.

When discussing his 2003 series of plastic bag artworks, Dahlsen pointed out that the Irish Government has  imposed a 10 cent levy on the use of these bags some years ago, which saw the consumption of this product decrease by approximately 90% within a year- a reduction of billions of plastic bags per year! The message is in the medium; plastics still contribute to a significant amount of pollution on an international scale. We can all find use in other more environmentally friendly materials and with a combined effort we can eliminate using plastics bags and the litter that they create on land and in the sea. Gold Coast (above)  was created entirely from ‘ocean litter’, and Dahlsen realised during his beach searches that ocean litter is a worldwide phenomenon affecting beaches on a global scale. Dahlsen insists on working with these found materials until they tell their story- which includes those “underlying environmental messages inherent in the use of this kind of medium”. Thousands of tonnes of plastics used by humans are being dumped along shorelines around the world every day, killing local animal species and polluting the ocean. “Despite my outrage at this environmental vandalism”, stated Dahlsen, ” I returned to the beach daily to find more pieces for my artist’s palette.”

Our awareness and consciousness about the environment and art can be shifted by viewing Dahlsen’s artwork. Even if it just fractionally, he states that this shift “makes all of his art worthwhile”. The theme of recycling is consistent in almost all of Dahlsen’s work, and the fact that he creates these aesthetically beautiful artworks purely from litter and recycled materials supports his powerful message.

Visit   www.johndahlsen.com/   to see more of Dahlsen’s artworks.

Amy Jackson

Michael Landy

“I see this as the ultimate consumer choice” – Michael Landy

Consumerism is a powerful ideology, but rarely do humans consider how facilitating the consumer industry impacts upon the environment; creating more pollution and waste.

In 2001 British artist Michael Landy voluntarily destroyed all of his personal belongings in his performative installation Breakdown, located in the vacated space of a department store on a busy shopping strip in Oxford Street, London.

Landy’s possessions were placed on a conveyer belt which mimicked an assembly line, and a team of 18 people whom Landy employed for the project assisted in pulping and granulating hsi possessions (with the help of a machine) until each item was individually reduced to landfill. This highly systematic approach to the destruction of his belongings is reflective of the mechanical age in which western society lives today; an industrialized world of mass production for mass consumption.

People often consume goods for a purpose then dispose of them to landfill, and Breakdown does just this only in a more radical way. Landy is not denying his own participation in the capitalist process of consumerism, but he is challenging the morality of our actions. Among other intentions and meanings behind this artwork, Breakdown is critical of the negative impact that humans are having on the environment by continuing to purchase goods produced at factories that add to pollution and waste around the world, rather than promote recycling and improving our environment; we need to re-consider our priorities.

This performance based artwork draws attention to the choice we all make to contribute in the global economy and worldwide pollution through mass consumption. Everybody is responsible for the environment and contributes to global pollution by facilitating the consumer industry.

The intangible value that all of our possessions have to us has a more tangible and long term impact on the environment.

Amy Jackson