Moles on the move

I have for a long time thought that moles might provide us with a (partial) answer to likely sea level rise over coming years: http://www.flyintheface.com/up%20and%20under.html
It seems that someone may be trialling my idea as super-large molehills have recently been seen 'on the move' near Aldeburgh (pictured above) and then on the beach at Thorpeness (see below).
As you can see, these molehills are much larger than those produced by the average garden mole, lending credence to speculation in scientific circles that mutant moles are either being bred and released in the Aldeburgh area precisely for this purpose - or that they may even be evolving 'naturally' as a result of the local Sizewell effect...

Not everyone is convinced of their merit. Diggers were brought in to remove the offending molehills with the earth helpfully being re-utilised in sea defence works on the beach.

Evidence suggests that Aldeburgh is not the only area affected by mole trials. More modest trials also appear to be underway on Bournemouth beach.

If you would like to take part in future  UP AND UNDER trials in your area, then please contact me upandunder@flyintheface.com, with the proposed location of your UP AND UNDER action and attaching your agreement to the Mole Protection Charter.  

Fish Food

I have always thought that fleeces were a very practical use for recycled PET bottles - warm, light, quick drying, comfortable... But, as usual, there is a downside. Recent scientific studies have shown an unexpected source for the rising amounts of plastics found in our oceans: microfibres from man-made fabrics like fleeces are finding their way into the sea - and therefore the food chain - via our washing machines!

 A new study has found that when you wash fleeces and other synthetic fabrics, miniscule threads of plastic seep through filters and escape into the environment. Browne, lead author of the new study, estimates that more than 65 percent of plastic debris in the sea is smaller than one millimeter in diameter - and scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about the harm these tiny bits might be causing. Marine microplastics can penetrate the cells of even the tiniest organisms, affecting the way they function and raising all sorts of health concerns for both sea creatures and the people that eat them. Moreover, plastic particles in the water are not only hazardous for their own potential toxicity but also because they adsorb the pollutants in the water around them.

Yet currently there are no requirements for manufacturers to test fabrics for their environmental impact or for filtration processes of waste water to eliminate this potentially damaging source of pollution.

“Consumers have the power when they go into a store to ask whether clothing has been tested for its impact on the environment,” said Browne. “If more and more consumers started doing that, it would then put pressure on the people who actually produce clothes to do something about it.”

 To gauge the extent of the microplastic problem, Browne and colleagues collected and tested sediment samples from 18 shorelines on six continents. Microplastics were not just ubiquitous, the team reported in Environmental Science & Technology. Concentrations were also highest in the most densely populated countries. Places that produce the most waste, in other words, suffer the most from their waste.

More food for thought about our dependence on plastics...

Beached at Jaywick

I have had a hugely busy week, re-arranging my collections of litter to create a site specific installation BEACHED! at Jaywick Tower. All done now (phew!) and the launch is tomorrow (Saturday 7th July 3 - 5 pm). For more details see www.jaywickmartellotower.org
The Tower has a fantastic glass reading room on the roof with amazing views - it's worth a visit for that alone - and there is a beautiful beach too... (surely worth missing the Ladies' Wimbledon Finals for)
Hope to see you there!

The Oil Age Hut is here!

The Oil Age Hut is finally taking shape and was launched in style (despite the storms!) at Bridport Arts Centre today with a stunning performance by Bridport's ukulele group, 'tHE bUCKY-dON’TS'.
The exhibition includes a wide range of other exhibits too - and lots to read and do!

Hutliving here and there is at Bridport Arts Centre until 19th May (open Tues - Sat).
If you would like to know more about The Oil Age Hut, I will be adding a feature to flyintheface soon!

Night Nurdling

I am down in Dorset working on my Oil Age Hut. I have been struck by the vast amounts of small plastic debris visible on the sandy shoreline. Visiting Lyme Regis this evening, my eye was caught by the huge number of yellow nurdles on the tideline... Yellow is not the typical colour and to find this type of nurdle predominating is unusual.
Having subsequently investigated, my local contacts tell me that yellow nurdles were shed in the MSC Napoli disaster off Branscombe in January 2007 and that this is the likely source... If you know more, please do get in touch!

some I found earlier (at Watergate Bay, Newquay)

The Cultural Olympiad arrives on the Suffolk coast

It is here! The Cultural Olympiad arrived on the tide - or perhaps the wind - today at Thorpeness beach, Suffolk.
How much more Olympic debris will be washed up in coming weeks, months and years... and what does it tell us about the sponsors?

If you would like to learn more about the art of brand values, see Enviro-marketing and find out how you can join in the act. You too can be washed up - forever...

The oil age hut

I have been really busy creating some new work for my next exhibition Hutliving Here and There which opens at Bridport Arts Centre on Sunday 29th April, 2012.
Centre stage will be The Oil Age Hut. Uniquely, my hut will provide a convenient and useful way to sequester (store) oil locally, potentially providing a ready source of oil for your children and future generations to ‘mine’ for their energy needs.
Plastics - even ‘disposable’ ones - last indefinitely in the natural environment so they will always be there for you and your family when you need them. What better legacy for our children!

 A range of my other work, inspired by earth, air and (of course) water, is also in the show.

The launch is Sunday 29th April 2pm - 4pm - if you are in the area, it would be lovely to see you there.
I will also be giving a gallery talk about my work on Saturday 19th May at 2pm.


Exhibition details:
Hutliving Here and There is at Bridport Arts Centre from 29th April until 19th May. the gallery is open Tues - Sat 10am – 4pm.
The exhibition will also include an exploration of the heritage of shepherd’s huts in Dorset and work produced by four local schools and Bridport Youth Centre. For more information about the Hutliving Here and There project, visit Burr Projects C.I.C.

If you cannot make the exhibition, I will be adding details of my oil age hut to flyintheface.com in the next few weeks.

Trashion makes a splash!

 I really love the work of American artist, Marina DeBris, especially her Trashion couture: fashions made from street & washed-up beach trash.
You can see more on her website... and hear more about it here.

Looking up, not down

An occupational hazard of my usual work is an inclination to look down as I walk, always keeping an eye out for what treasure (or horror) may have washed up in my path...
Not any more! For a current project I am on a new mission, searching the woods where I walk each day for... tree houses.

 

Watch this space...

A new helper

 I have a new helper when collecting on the beach... well, he's not exactly helping but he is in training.... (believe me, he needs it!)

Our mad pup (who is nearly old enough to know better) now likes to collect plastics on the beach too. Here you can see him with a dustpan he found... but then lost. With helpers like this, I am finding it hard to have enough hands to collect and carry rubbish, take photos and prevent strangers from being 'bounced'!

Life can be tough on the beach.