Subway Animals Come to Life via RubenMiller
Via Reuben Miller, here’s a story from the Wooster Collective about an artist who makes animal figures out of discarded plastic bags. Tied to the ventilation grates above the subway lines, the figures jump up and spring to life whenever the subway rushes by.
Here’s a video of the Air Bear and another of the Air Zoo from TodayandTomorrow.net. Also the name of the artist: Joshua Allen Harris.
A simple and creative way to deal with a chronic problem. What to do with all those used plastic bags? The ugly truth about our plastic bag addiction is that the world’s consumption rate is now estimated at well over 500,000,000,000 (that’s 500 billion) plastic bags annually, or almost 1 million per minute. More plastic bag facts:
–The U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.
–Recycling rates for plastic bags are extremely low. Only 1 to 3% of plastic bags end up getting recycled.
Recycled plastic bag chicken from Wow! Imports
Wow! Imports offers one possible solution. This recycled, fair trade plastic bag chicken is handcrafted by disadvantaged crafters in South Africa. The chickens are made from a wide range of colorful recycled plastic. No chicken is alike. Some even have logos from Fanta and Coca Cola.
Mark Jenkins’ How to Make a Plastic Bag Eating Giraffe
Artist Mark Jenkins takes a different approach. Jenkins advocates making tape giraffes to eat the plastic bags.
Argentinean designer and artist Marina Gryciuk uses techniques such as crochet and embroidery to reuse bags, cassette plastic tapes and old cloths. These cushions are knitted from recycled plastic grocery bags.
The message is clear: Reuse and Recycle.
Related MadSilence posts: Tape Art Redux: the Aesthetics of Tape
~TAB
13 Comments
April 9, 2008 at 11:39 am
That’s really cool! I didn’t know you could be so creative with plastic bags. My favorite is the chicken. It reminds me of some dolls from the 60s or early 70s, made of plastic.
My household reuses or recycles all plastic grocery bags.
April 9, 2008 at 8:35 pm
oh my god, I LOVE the subway animals, that is just soooooooo COOOOOOOL!!!!!!!!
I like your new template
April 10, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I think its amazing that you have used garbage, a common site on the subway, to create animals, something you dont see on the subway. great contrast.
April 12, 2008 at 3:14 am
These artworks are really nice. They are also brought awareness to our environmental problems. Recycling and the arts. They really compliment each other.
April 14, 2008 at 7:02 am
Thanks, Dalspot, Jafabrit, Jay Brown and Leafless for your comments. There’s more to come on the art of the plastic bag, so watch out for a following post.
MadSilence
April 24, 2008 at 7:57 am
It is so cool when trash can be turned into art, especially when that trash is not biodegradable.
May 6, 2008 at 1:44 am
I am so moved by people who are dedicated to using the arts as a way of communicating such serious issues as our plastic consumption. I am also an artist who focuses on similar issues such as plastics in our oceans, and how plastics are integrating into our DNA and causing major diseases in many people. To view videos of the plastic island phenomena in the ocean go to
http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=1485308505
make sure to watch the extras. It is very scary.
And check out my site to view my translation of human refuse and Geneticaly modified organisms.
May 6, 2008 at 1:45 am
woops forgot to leave my site. ypedroza.com
Thank You, Ya’el
May 10, 2008 at 1:08 am
cool post about plastic bags, I love those chickens (I own two).
IF you are interested in reading more about artists who use plastic bags, checkout Olympia Dumpster Divers post, “This IS a plastic bag”: http://rubyreusable.com/artblog/?p=722
and also please check out Ruby Re-Usable’s wonderful Wonderbread plastic bag art: http://www.rubyreusable.com/
May 10, 2008 at 3:59 am
Thanks Diane. This post has proven so popular I’m planning a sequel. Ruby Reusable is in my notes. Also researching posts on environmental and recycled object art.
And Ya’el, thank you for commenting as well.
Thanks for your comments. MadSilence
May 22, 2008 at 1:39 am
[...] Related post: The art of the plastic bag [...]
June 7, 2008 at 1:15 pm
[...] out MadSilence’s posts on The Art of the Plastic Bag and Plastic Bag Art: the sequel for some plastic bag facts and some fascinating plastic bag art, [...]
July 15, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Hey! Thanks for posting our recycled platic bag chicken! Visit our site to see the entire collection of chickens, roosters and more!