Lori Eanes
From Throwaway Series on Plastic
This personal project about plastic began during the pandemic and has evolved as I've worked on it.
Plastic is a product of petroleum, and its use has skyrocketed since the 1970s when it first gained popularity. According to the EPA it now fills 45% of our landfills. The problem is it doesn't decompose, it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics, that kill wildlife, release toxins, and enter the food chain.
I began the series seduced by the translucent beauty of plastic and as I've worked on the series I've experimented with different techniques to illustrate this pervasive problem. My hope is to help increase awareness and bring about change. A simple single-use plastic ban would save thousands of tons of plastic from entering the waste stream and help shift our consumer throwaway mindset.
