Event 2 | Jessica Irish

 


The problem of microplastics and pollution is usually tackled in a scientific context but Jessica Irish tackled it with an artistic lens. Projects like The Ocean Cleanup utilize engineering and create solutions to reduce the amount of plastic in the ocean, but Irish uses film as a medium to express why that goal is so important (The Ocean Cleanup). 


Fig 1. Plastic in Human Hands, 2021.

Irish’s film This Mortal Plastik (2021) not only informs the viewer of the problems plastics pose to the world, it creates an ambiance that forces the viewer to reflect on their daily usage of plastic. Irish uses the image of an empty plastic container in the hands of a person to show that this is a problem that is all around us. Very few Americans have not touched a disposable plastic container and this image poses the question “how many of these have you thrown away”? Combined with the images of the dead animals in nets, it coalesces into a motivation that gets the viewer to internally reflect and come to the conclusion that something must be done. 


Fig 2. Picture of Fracking, 2021.

Another interesting thing Irish did in This Mortal Plastik was that she also focused on the science behind the art. She not only advocated for reducing our consumption and production of plastic, she backed up her claims with evidence. Irish points out that there is a lot of infrastructure that helps sustain plastic’s dominance over the US (API). 


Fig 3. Picture of Microplastic, 2021.

Irish effectively combines art and science to open a dialogue about the problem of plastics in our world. Although there are some plastic recycling organizations, the problem will need to be solved at the production level before gains can be made (Parker). We need to combat the problem itself, not try to reduce the severity of the symptoms.


Works Cited

API. "Where Are the Pipelines?" API, 

www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas/wells-to-consumer/transporting-oil-natural-gas/pipeline/where-are-the-pipelines. Accessed 12 May 2022.

Laura Parker. "Plastic Pollution is a Huge Problem—and It’s Not Too Late to Fix It." 

Science, 6 Oct. 2020, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/plastic-pollution-huge-problem-not-too-late-to-fix-it. Accessed 12 May 2022.

The Ocean Cleanup. The Ocean Cleanup, 14 July 2021, theoceancleanup.com/.

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