Plastic Matter

We are pleased to be able to bring you a digital walk-through of the Plastic Matter exhibition which sadly had to close due to the current outbreak. In this unique group exhibition, eight artists explore plastic's potential to become something more treasured, look at how hastily we consume and dispose of it, its environmental impact and its future role in society.  You can find out more about the artists below.

Plastic Matter

A group exhibition exploring plastic's potential - as inspiration, material, resource and waste.

Get Involved!

As part of the exhibition - as you'll see in the video - we asked visitors to share their ideas for reducing our use of plastics and we would love to carry on this conversation.  Please share your ideas with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook #PlasticMatter

And at a time when so many people are at home, if you spot a 'Turquoise Bag in a Tree' from a window or car, do share your pictures @UniHertsArts

Plastic Matter Artists

Seyi Adelekun is exhibiting her large-scale installation Plastic Pavilion which is an undulating canopy made of 1,600 recycled plastic bottles, filled with coloured water.

Maria Arceo’s works Neocide and Chromophore invite us to question our perception of the environmental impact of plastic, whilst challenging us towards a more sustainable future. Arceo has also created an interactive element to the exhibition – Plastiqueria UH Waste – and visitors are welcome to contribute to this collective artwork.

Camilla Brendon showcases works from her ongoing project, Coast, which explores oceans and waterways in an attempt to improve ocean literacy and spark dialogue around wider marine issues.

Hilary Jack’s installation Turquoise Bag in a Tree comprises of 90 photographs of images of windblown blue plastic bags stuck on trees – highlighting the presence of plastic in our environment.

David Kefford’s Pocket Sculptures are small assemblages of found objects discarded by humans, providing a sense of improvisation whilst confronting us with the materials we discard.

Steve McPherson presents five intricately assembled works made from found debris from the sea, which symbolise the history of the world up to this point, as contemporary and future archaeology.

Jill Townsley’s time-lapse video documents her installation Spoons – a pyramid-like structure of 9,273 plastic spoons and 3,091 rubber bands. Townsley has also “infested” the Art & Design Gallery with plastic sculptural interventions which draw from her interest in repetition, pattern and structures.

Daniel Webb’s project Everyday Plastic documents all of the plastic waste he generated for one year. The exhibition showcases a short film of Webb’s work as well as a seminal report based on rigorous analysis of his collection.

We thank everyone involved in this project and for the thought-provoking conversations it has provoked around this contentious material.