Wednesday 31 July 2013


Apologies for blurry images...I've been playing on instagram only they look great on the phone!...not on the pc!
31 July 2013
Downderry beach
Foragers Mandy, Jack and Polly

83cm length of grey pipe, 10cm diameter
childs spade
empty tomato ketchup bottle, no label or lid
nautical rope
nautical string
deflated yellow balloon and ribbon
orange rubberised heavy duty glove (classing as plastic)
yellow disposable lighter
broken fabric conditioner bottle with lid
foam coffee cup piece
washer
2x green milk carton lids
shard of linoleum flooring
hair accessories label
red balloon
blue wedge, origin unknown
surfboard fin fragment
water bottle lid ring, no lid
shard of blue with image, possibly from a childs bucket




Somebody's stunt bike wheel...






Rough seas at Downderry





Urge to forage coming on!

Monday 29 July 2013


Polly helps too!
Broken child's spade

We headed out today as it really was quite wet last night! Caught the tide at high tide, in fact it started going out while we were there. Alarming to find the following objects washed up in such a small stretch of beach, no more than half a mile and with no more than a width of 5 metres. There were many bags, bottles and much more rope and string to be had but I guess I was being selective today.

Inventory list for 29th July 2013
Downderry beach, Cornwall
Foragers Mandy, Jack, Will, Eliza and Polly

child's spade, broken blade
extension pole with boathook
pot noodle pot
child's rake
glowstick
2x fish fishing lures, one with triple hook
small adult/child? scuba mask
penny arcade coin pot
XL size cube hanger tag
3x bottle lids
empty fishing line reel
child's bucket handle
chicken tikka masala ready meal lid from supermarket, use by date 27 July
nautical rope
nautical string
ice drink straw
child's bubble blowing ring
plant label, Bacopa
yellow tape
balloon ribbon
cream cheese container (no lid)
fragment of brown plastic flower pot
5x random plastic fragments, blues and yellows
disc with hole in centre
unknown mushroom shaped thing!




To know things you have to grow into them, and let them grow in you, so that they become a part of who you are....The mere provision of information holds no guarantee of knowledge, let alone of understanding....Things..are easier said than done.

Tim Ingold, 2013
Making
Anthropology, Archaeology, Art and Architecture

Sunday 28 July 2013

Wind is blowing and it is raining...no storms but heading out to the beach later this evening to go plastic foraging. If any readers live near the coast, anywhere globally, and would like to contribute some found plastic jetsam and flotsam, I would love to hear from you!...and of course happy to cover the cost of p&p!
Found this news article today through the BBC...very apt!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/23432917

Saturday 27 July 2013

A new work is beginning to follow on from the plastics in the ocean work of 2012, if you are not familiar with my work please feel free to follow from the start of this blog. 

My initial inspiration to drive this further forward came from BBC2's program, Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve, episode 3 Kenya and the Horn of Africa. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00rdjvn/Indian_Ocean_with_Simon_Reeve_Kenya_and_the_Horn_of_Africa/ 

On a regular basis the women of Kiwayu Island in the Indian Ocean pan the beaches of this stunning location, collecting masses and masses of washed up waste. They have managed to turn this around to suit their favour by collecting flip flops and then turning them into FlipFlop Recycling Products

http://www.voanews.com/content/kenya-flipflop-recyclying-company-turns-oceans-trash-to-treasure/1520170.html

I have started to collect plastic waste now from the shores of Cornwall, where I live. The weather has been incredibly hot and sunny and we are now forecast storms...this will provide ideal foraging weather with rough seas bringing much debris onto the shore.

Prediction of time spent on this work will be lengthy. As well as studio time I shall need to get out to the beaches as much as possible. Intentions being to make a statement installation piece. It may well take two to three years. I have in my mind what I need to create...I just need to gather the materials in which to do it.

I normally put myself under great pressure, so I am looking forward to taking on this journey with an already concluded proposal and plenty of time!