Fragile Collection

ARTIST STATEMENT (WHY)
My Spoon Series titled, ‘Fragile Collection,’ explores Australia’s impacts on our environment. Each spoon is a visual representation of those impacts, specifically, fire pollution, introduction of exotic fauna, deforestation, overfishing and the destruction of the coral reefs. The presentation of the spoons is enticing, something someone might want to pick and use. I chose to mix different metals to highlight each spoons importance and the need for the Governments attention. Each spoon is fragile which make it important to be careful when carrying and transporting them. I found this idea of having to be so careful with what I do with them a perfect representation for how the Government should be treating these environmental issues. As spoons can also be collectable, in a way they are the collected spoons of the government, as they continue to ignore their environmental impacts. By using spoons, I also wanted to communicate how our consumerism and greed is the cause of these issues. Usually, spoons are made from Silver, non-toxic for consuming, but in this case the metal is toxic, Copper and Aluminium. While there is an exception for the Brass, there are still elements of the Copper. In a way, what we put out into the world, will eventually come back to us.

Inspired by the meaning behind this work, I chose to create these advertising posters for the work as a personal project. I chose bright high contrasting colours to mimic new product advertising but twisting it with punchy statements about how our consumerism is effecting the environment and a callout the companies push this.