Amara Karapas
Scottish Fordite, 2026
Found plastic waste, stone
18 x 13 x 15 cm
Own Art
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Further images
This work is available to view online or by request. This work consists of two sculptures which sit on two small shelves. Changing Ideas Award A desire to find natural...
This work is available to view online or by request.
This work consists of two sculptures which sit on two small shelves.
Changing Ideas Award
A desire to find natural inspiration drew me to the Scottish coastlines and highland hills. Experiencing epic landscapes contrasted with disruptive pollution, usually in the form of plastic waste, was at nearly every site I visited. Beginning to document the plastic or remove it was my response as an artist and environmental steward in reciprocity with the land, informing my work. Removing waste is habitual and calming for me. Not over-purchasing, prioritizing ethics, and minimizing my carbon footprint contribute to my creative process. Anxious after purging many resources to move abroad, re-supplying a materials-based dimensional practice in a considered way was a priority.
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 center, escaping to the sea in Ayr on the west coast and North Berwick on the east coast started to form layered expressions. Sourcing found plastics, photos, and inspiration from my travels. I dislike plastics, especially their abundance and long-lasting properties that are ecologically harmful, but as a sculptural medium, I find the range and applications to be vast and even aesthetically pleasing. Oban, Isle of Mull, Glencoe, Fort William, Kilmartin Glen, Aberdeen, Stonehaven, Cairngorms National Park, and Loch Lomond provided brightly colored polymer pollution as a sculptural medium. The collective impact of waste removal can be seen in the layers of entombed stone that is “Scottish Fordite”.
Fordite is a lapidary term referring to fine, colorful 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. - the artist
This work consists of two sculptures which sit on two small shelves.
Changing Ideas Award
A desire to find natural inspiration drew me to the Scottish coastlines and highland hills. Experiencing epic landscapes contrasted with disruptive pollution, usually in the form of plastic waste, was at nearly every site I visited. Beginning to document the plastic or remove it was my response as an artist and environmental steward in reciprocity with the land, informing my work. Removing waste is habitual and calming for me. Not over-purchasing, prioritizing ethics, and minimizing my carbon footprint contribute to my creative process. Anxious after purging many resources to move abroad, re-supplying a materials-based dimensional practice in a considered way was a priority.
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 center, escaping to the sea in Ayr on the west coast and North Berwick on the east coast started to form layered expressions. Sourcing found plastics, photos, and inspiration from my travels. I dislike plastics, especially their abundance and long-lasting properties that are ecologically harmful, but as a sculptural medium, I find the range and applications to be vast and even aesthetically pleasing. Oban, Isle of Mull, Glencoe, Fort William, Kilmartin Glen, Aberdeen, Stonehaven, Cairngorms National Park, and Loch Lomond provided brightly colored polymer pollution as a sculptural medium. The collective impact of waste removal can be seen in the layers of entombed stone that is “Scottish Fordite”.
Fordite is a lapidary term referring to fine, colorful 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. - the artist
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