Can Art Help Us Grasp the Plastics Crisis?

Humans have filled the oceans with more than 170 trillion pieces of plastic. These artists are bringing visibility to the issue.

By Siobhan Reid
Jul 19, 2023 4:00 PM
Artwork and plastic crisis
(Credit: Brooklyn Museum)

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This article was originally published on Nexus Media News.

Duke Riley started out making maritime crafts, like sailor’s valentines and scrimshaws, entirely out of shells, bones and other natural materials that washed ashore on the beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and greater New York. Then, on a walk in 2017, he picked up what he thought was a piece of bone. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a plastic brush used for scrubbing boats. 

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