Many moons ago, in a far-off land, a tension mounted. Isn’t this how all stories begin? (Or at least a place at which they all arrive in order to maintain the status of “story.”) In this particular instance, the tension mounting existed in North Carolina, a countable number of moons ago, between personal values and vocational practices.
Avid advocates for the environment and seekers of sustainability, installation artists Ian Gamble and Sarah Witt sensed a misalignment of their artistic endeavors with their guiding principles of planet preservation. Eating locally grown food, riding bicycles and forfeiting the comforts of central air are all commendable habits. But somehow these singular efforts seemed inadequate and stagnant. And these minor lifestyle choices seemed especially insignificant when compared to the staggering amount of waste generated within the fields of art and entertainment. (The 2 fields that intersect with Ian and Sarah’s employment and educational experience.) And comparatively how seldom this superfluous consumption of energy, materials and space is addressed by these industries.
*Pause: We don’t want to point fingers and preach, because that’s hypocrisy and it’s annoying. *
Perhaps it’s because Ian grew up tilling the land with spears of sweat, or because Sarah is overly ambitious and thinks she can save the world one canvas bag at a time, but both artists concluded that the multi-faceted global crisis we’re wading through deserves public acknowledgment. And what better way to implement your inner earth-inspiration than through sewing together a bunch of ripped plastic tarps and wrapping them around an invasive species of grass! (I’m sure there are other ways.)
But in a serious vein of thought, Ian and Sarah determined that the projects they undertake can be agents for change–if only through subtle statements and small steps. By merging their individual integrity with their structural installation art practices, they have been able to create a guilt-free art installation. (Both report to sleep better at night.) In pursuit of a social path that can inform and inspire communities, Ian and Sarah have designed the Polymorphic Plastic Parade.
