The GYRE Expedition and Exhibit - Marine Debris as Material and Message

Today the Alaska Sea Life Center in cooperation with others will send an international team of scientists, artists, and educators out on an expedition to explore the impacts of one of the most prolific cultural artifacts of our modern age, plastic pollution. The expedition will study the global problem of marine pollution using the southwest part of Alaska as their laboratory. This expedition was the vision of Howard Ferren and he will serve as the expedition leader. I had the opportunity to meet Howard at the 5th International Marine Debris Conference in Honolulu in March of 2011, and visited him and his wife at their home in Seward, Alaska later in the year. Howard is a dedicated individual who for many months has worked tirelessly to bring forth his vision (read fund) of blending the interpretive talents of artists and scientists to illuminate the problems resulting from marine pollution to a wider public audience. It is through his efforts that a collaboration of organizations and individuals has been built to realize this expedition.  His vision also included a post-expedition Marine Debris Art Exhibit that will be curated and hosted by the co-sponsor, the Anchorage Museum.

A short video that explains the Expedition concept can be viewed here:

The lead scientist for the Expedition will be Carl Safina, of the Blue Ocean Institute. Carl is a wonderful choice as he is both an accomplished scientist and an eloquent artist as his many books on marine conservation issues will attest to. Pam Longobardi an artist that has been featured in this blog will be one of the 4 artists that participates in the expedition phase of the Gyre project. Pam has been working with marine debris for over 20 years now, and her art has been exhibited internationally. Pam is currently one of the 4 finalists for the $50,000 Visual Arts Hudgens Prize.

Here are just a few examples of her marine debris art;

Ghosts of Consumption by Pam Longobardi, 2012, media: found ocean plastic, steel pins, silicone

Pam has been working alongside Howard to put together a diverse group of international artists that will be collecting marine pollution throughout the expedition. The collected items will be catalogued during the expedition and many of these items will be presented in the Exhibition phase of the project. In addition to the 4 artists taking part in the expedition an additional 16 artists have been invited to contribute to the exhibition which will be exhibited at the Anchorage Museum on February through September 2014. After this initial showing the GYRE exhibit will be repackaged for traveling by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services and will tour museums across the United States.

The photographer for the expedition is Kip Evans. Kip has been working in the marine conservation field for over 20 years. Since 2008 he has worked with Dr. Sylvia Earle serving as director of photography and expeditions for her Mission Blue Hope Spots part of the Sylvia Earle Alliance.

R/V Norseman

The GYRE expedition will be conducted aboard the R/V Norseman. The R/V Norseman is a 108-ft. well appointed ship that has been recently (2005) converted to a full research and exploration platform. The GYRE team should be able to fully explore the southwest Alaska coastline where they will observe, document, and collect shoreline marine pollution.

I hope that you will follow this expedition as it explores the Kenai Peninsula and beyond, here the expedition members will bear witness to the enormity of the global problem of plastic waste that plagues our oceans.

TO LEARN MORE:
GYRE Website
The Anchorage Museum
The Alaska SeaLife Center
Marine Debris Overview – Blue Ocean Institute
GYRE – Marine Debris Fact Sheet
GYRE FACEBOOK PAGE
GYRE – TWITTER
GYRE – YOU TUBE
GYRE – GOOGLE+
GYRE – PINTEREST

Andrew McNaughton - Marine Debris Artist Extraordinaire - Watamu, Kenya

CONCENTRICITY -Flip-Flop Mosaic

Andrew McNaughton and I met in a small grocery store in Watamu, Kenya in 2002 and have been great friends ever since. Andrew is a gifted artist and over the years I have been consistently amazed by the inspired art that Andrew creates. His art is made from flip-flops and other marine debris collected from the beaches of Watamu. Andrew's house is located right on the beach and his many hours spent walking the beach and seeing all the plastic pollution that washed ashore with each tide is what initially inspired him to try and find some creative use for it. Watamu is on the coast of Kenya and about 50 miles north of its second largest city, Mombasa. Mombasa is also home to some large flip-flop manufacturers, with over 20 million pairs of flip-flops being produced each year. This in part accounts for the large percentage of flip-flops that Andrew continues to find on the beaches in his community.

Andrew with another of his creations

Andrew is not alone in his efforts to collect the marine debris that is washing ashore on the beaches of Watamu. As his art work has gained in notice, and the problems of marine pollution have become better appreciated by local people, businesses, hotels and environmental groups, Andrew has become an ambassador for the Watamu Marine Association's Community Waste Collection and Recycling Project. The Watamu Marine Association (WMA) is an organization developed with the mission of promoting community development and empowerment, while at the same time advocating for the protection and preservation of Watamu's marine ecosystems.  Andrew and the WMA partner to both help clean and preserve the beaches of Watamu (a sea turtle nesting beach and popular tourist destination) and at the same time provide the raw materials for his continued creations. The WMA assists in employing women and disadvantaged young people in the regular collection of beach and village garbage. These same groups then sort and separate the marine pollution collected resulting in recycling of this gathered "trash." Items like flips-flops will be further sorted and set aside to be used by Andrew.

Sorting the beach collected "raw" materials for use

Additionally Andrew also partners with other WMA members from a local artisan co-op helping to train individuals to make additional items from the flip-flops that can be sold in the tourist markets. This collaboration has led to a local economy being generated around the collection and repurposing of marine pollution.

Andrew presenting Jack Johnson with a marine debris "Guitar"

I have worked with Andrew over the last few years to include him in some marine debris art exhibits featuring a collection of international artists that use their creativity to interpret the environmental problems of plastic marine pollution to the general public. At one exhibit in Hawaii he was able to present musician Jack Johnson one of his marine debris "guitars." Below are more images of the wonderful creative works Andrew has created. Currently some of his pieces can be seen in person at exhibits in Kenya and also in Oahu, Hawaii at MuuMuu Heaven.

LAS VEGAS

RUSH of BRUSHES to the SEA
Toothbrushes collected from the Watamu Beach

Close up of the above

"Guitar-Fish" beach collected driftwood inlaid with flip-flop

Furniture from Driftwood inlaid with Flip-Flop

Large Flip-Flop Outdoor Globes

"King Simba Malapa" - Lion commissioned by Born Free Foundation Predator Project

Students Learning from Andrew

Andrews work continues to inspire me and all those that view it. He will be part of a Marine Environmental Art Exhibit at the Boston Sea Rovers (one of the oldest American Dive Clubs) annual conference this 10-11 March. Andrew also continues to partner with the WMA and recently inspired students with his art and commitment to marine conservation in a workshop held at his studio for the students of the International School of Kenya. We are hoping to have him return to the US in 2013 to hold an independent Art Exhibit in Hawaii.