Teacher Name: Alice Costas
Grade: 12
Materials: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 20” x 20”
Description: This painting takes the perspective of an ocean creature as it watches its home fill with things that will never decompose. As the Great Pacific Garbage Patch continues to grow everyday, and more and more liter is quickly thrown away, it seems all the more important to think about the things we affect: our fish, our climate, our futures.
Artist Statement: What is the legacy we leave behind? Mankind has flourished, achieving technological and scientific developments only dreamed of. We’ve conquered diseases with vaccines, engineered drought-resistant crops, cataloged the elements, built to the heavens, and quite literally have touched the moon. But we have simultaneously plundered our home, extracting deep-earth minerals, metals, and fuels. We have carelessly discarded, believing the world can keep on giving– that our home will always return to us. In our fear of disappearing from history, we have truly made our forever mark, our man-made creations witnessing our greatest triumphs and faults. So what exactly is our legacy? Will the positive things we have accomplished make up for the negative? How do we leave our home for future generations? This portfolio explores mankind’s responsibility for the state of our world and how we leave it for the inheritance of those who follow. It is up to us to remove the trash that strangles our ocean creatures. It is up to us to restore the biodiversity and environments of earth’s many land and air dwelling creatures. It is up to us to ensure our human-centered built environments of the future remain something to be proud of. I hope viewers will reflect on the legacy we leave and are inspired to embark on a collective journey towards a more sustainable and harmonious coexistence with our planetary home.
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