Wall Hangings
These pieces are both currently on display at The Nature Conservancy headquarters in Minneapolis, MN
WHERE
Bennet Gallery, Minneapolis, Mn
WHEN
Fall 2019
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Sized to fit perfectly on the wall of the Bennet Gallery during my solo show this winter, this large-scale weaving shows the proportional environmental impacts of the countries that pollute the most. Hand-dyed strips of fabric are woven on a self-made loom with each color representing a different country/ region. The amount of space covered by that color is proportional to the global CO2 emissions of that country. The pattern was inspired by the tartans of my own Scottish and Irish heritage, symbolizing legacy. This new tartan represents our legacy of pollution. The piece implies that, in the future, countries will be judged based on the environmental impact they have today. Just as the shameful sections of countries' histories continue to hurt that country's image, the legacy of disproportionate impact and greed of certain countries will tarnish their reputation in the future.
Pollution Tartan
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This wall hanging is the companion piece to Pollution Tartan and continues the discussion of the global carbon footprint. Each string represents approximately 50 million people, for a total approximating the 7.8 billion people on the planet. The painted strings represent the populations of the six most polluting regions/countries, namely The United States of America (blue), China (red), Japan (pink), India (orange), the EU (yellow) and Russia (green). These are the same countries highlighted in Pollution Tartan. The large circles represent the total impact of that country's / region's carbon emissions. While these circles are attached to the colored strings that represent their respective populations, all of the circles, except for India (orange) are so big that they push other white strings out of the way, highlighting the disproportionate impact of pollution and how the burden to adapt, move, and be flexible often does not fall on the same people who create the problem.