Becoming acquainted with living in Scotland, finding and feeling are apparent in my daily routines. A desire to find natural inspiration drew me to the Scottish coastlines and highland hills. Experiencing epic landscape contrasted with disruptive pollution, usually in the form of plastic waste, at nearly every site I visited. I began to either document the plastic or remove it to help restore the natural environment. My research journey is based in the city of Glasgow, with multiple day trips via train to Edinburgh. In contrast to life in the city centre, escaping to the sea in Ayr on the west coast and North Berwick on the east coast began to inform my practice. I source a range of specific inspiration, including photos and physical media from my travels. Usually, I collect waste, other humans’ synthetic waste. I dislike plastics, but as a sculptural medium find the range and applications to be vast and aesthetically pleasing. Oban, Isle of Mull, Glencoe, Fort William, Kilmartin Glen, Aberdeen, Stonehaven, Cairngorms National Park, and Loch Lomond so far. Getting to know the Scottish Highlands in these locations and through living and experiencing urban Scotland birthed ‘Scottish Fordite’.
Fordite is a lapidary term referring to fine, colourful layers of enamel from overspray in Michigan automotive factories in the 1960s. Growing up in rural Michigan, my grandparents worked in these factories. Making with waste plastic collected over time from across Scotland was reminiscent of my connection to the reclaimed, somehow “precious” material from home. Is there an impact from making this work, or can the synthetic media be seen as valuable in this context? Have my findings sparked a line of inquiry? I do know that my work is connected to a feeling, positive or negative, an emotional connection stirring wonder or grotesque intrigue.
- the artist