New Year presents

I have been really busy in early January making souvenirs for the Gyre: The Plastic Ocean, a unique art and science exhibition at the Anchorage Museum, Alaska, which opens on 7th February. The exhibition will explore the complex relationship between humans and the ocean in a contemporary culture of consumption and will feature the work of more than 20 artists from across the world, including two of my personal favourites, Mark Dion and Chris Jordan. 

It's looking really exciting... you can read more about it here.

Gyre continues until September 6th.  

Mangetout...?

I have just had a wonderful weekend exhibiting Pilotage, a collaboration with Ian McMillan for the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival. At our book signing for Pilotage: collected works (my half hour of fame; it felt so good...), Ian performed his short poem inspired by the fragment of a danger sign we found washed up on the beach near Sizewell. But how, we were asked, did we know it was part of a danger sign? Mightn't it instead be a sign for MANGETOUT from a greengrocer's? The questioner had a point. We felt we had no choice but to add a new piece to our installation in the Dovecote at Snape Maltings where people could add their own ideas.
Here are some of their suggestions:
blancmange, mange, change, endangered, flange, lone ranger, Pangbourne, climate change, orange, pangea, hanger, mangelwurzel, phalange, angel, free-range, hanger-on, bangbang, anger, sea-change, Angela Merkel, deranged, sange, stranger, manger, ranger, tangerine, dangerous, rearrange, angel dust, estrangement...
Any more?

A good place for a nuclear power station...

I was devastated to see the coastal erosion at Thorpeness today. A single tide early on Saturday morning carried away literally thousands of tonnes of shingle in the strong northeasterly winds, leaving several houses vulnerable.

My favourite footpath to the north end of the beach was severed, leaving a sheer 2.5 meter drop, and the sea defences (installed under the shingle just a couple of years ago) were suddenly stripped bare.

Sizewell, the site of existing and proposed nuclear power stations, is less than 2 miles away...

 

Sweet NOthings on the beach

Just returned from the best swim of the year: beach to myself (apart from the usual mad dog) and a warm steely sea...
And no rubbish on the beach - just one sweet NOthing.
That's the way I like it.

Hooked on the beach

My dog, Rolf, loves to help me collect rubbish on the beach. But today nearly ended in disaster as we found he had a fishing hook embedded in his fur as he emerged from the sea after his usual dip. Moreover, as I tried to remove it, I realised there was a second hook concealed inside the seaweed which nearly embedded itself in my finger. Luckily he escaped unscathed despite trying to pull the hook free with his mouth and was soon back on top form collecting bollards.
But fishing debris on the beach is a huge hazard to wildlife and us... Anglers: more care please!

'All Summer Long'

You can capture that 'all summer long' feeling of Coca-Cola 35 years after the event, as I did walking along the beach today when this coke can washed up at my feet. I can think of a few choice words I could invent to send to Coca-Cola that would capture my feelings about their ancient debris washing in on the tide...
Send your suggestions to "All summer long", The Coca-Cola Company, Slough, Berks SL1 2NW.

[click on images for close-up]

death by plastic

Today's news provides graphic evidence of the harm plastics in our oceans cause to marine life: a sperm whale has washed up in southern Spain with 17kg of plastics in its stomach. Thick transparent plastic sheeting, 9m of rope, hosepipe, plastic flower pots, a clothes hanger, an ice-cream tub and bits of mattress were among the items which caused the whale's death.
Read more here.

a good place for a nuclear power station

On a rare sunny day last week, I took these photos of recent erosion of the cliffs just north of Thorpeness.
What's round the corner?
Sizewell C...

Filling my boots

Since moving to our woodland home 11 years ago, we have done everything we can to provide a good habitat for wildlife. Some wildlife (the barn owl and grass snakes) is more welcome than others (abundant moles and daily herds of fallow deer) - but where should we draw the line?

This dilemma came into sharp focus earlier today when, rummaging in the bedroom cupboard for my snow boots, I discovered that they were somewhat heavier than I expected... I soon realised why. The boots were filled to the brim with grain with just a discreet layer of torn tissue paper concealing the cache.

This is not the first incident - some Christmas biscuits, bought as a present and hidden in our cupboard, was nibbled before Christmas and our dog got the blame. And, just yesterday, I discovered some soap in our bathroom - a fragrant clove and orange - with distinct incisor marks.

But this newest discovery certainly takes the biscuit. This mouse and its friends must have laboured for days to create this hoard - there was nearly a kilo of grain in my boots! Regardless of their careful attempts to conceal it, the cache is now gone: I needed to wear the boots (despite their newly nibbled filigree edges...).

I find myself admiring these mice for their enterprise (where did they bring the grain from? it's not what we feed our chickens...) and laughing at their audacity. Part of me really wants to keep accommodating them here in my cupboard. But really enough is enough... So our idle cats are now being encouraged to take up residence in our room (and cupboard) and, if this doesn't keep our rodent friends away, then (regrettably) maybe a spot of feline 'self-catering' might...

Plastics beyond oil

I keep imagining a future beyond oil... a life without plastics and yet where plastic fragments of our Oil Age lives continue to wash up on the shore. I often think about what future generations will make of these objects (what they might think they are and how they might use them) - and what they might think about us...
I recently had the chance to explore some of these ideas with art, photography and textile students at a local high school. Here are some of the ideas I liked best:

empty pill blister packs = ocean migration modules for ants

plastic dustbin = personal flotation device in event of flooding      
or
      plastic dustbin = privacy module for couples in multiple occupancy one room living units

traffic cone =  high status head-dress as wearer unable to do anything practical whilst wearing one

You can send your own ideas to me here.

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.