CLAIRE CRIST
UNDERGRADUATE, GRAPHIC DESIGN
Reflection by the Disappearing
Painted plastic floppy disks, with cut-up compact disks and handwritten paper quotes
The oceans reek of murder. Human hands are stained with the death of hundreds of sea turtles some innocently and others know full well the extent of their actions. Plastic waste is detrimental to the ocean's living quality, haunting the crests of the waves. The floppy disks and compact disks, used to create the mural, are fading out of our lives similar to how the turtles are disappearing from the ocean waters. Shiny shards of CDs possessing dangerously sharp edges envelope the turtle; plastic’s shiny quality plays with turtles, drawing them in but the harmful nature isn’t obvious until it’s too late. The CDs on the shell of the turtle are acting as a mirror, reflecting the viewers face in a distorted manner metaphorically conveying the idea that they themselves are to blame for the distortion of the sea turtle population. However, some of the scraps of paper do hint at the viewer that this tale isn’t over yet, they can rewrite the ending. Even the smallest acts of environmental consciousness, like recycling plastic bottles or helping the newly hatched get to the water, can have the most rewarding impacts.
