A piece of environmentally conscious art, made with a discarded panel from another artist, an array of garbage, and (ironically) acrylic paint. Depicted is a chilly day at a rocky Maine beach. I used various materials otherwise destined for the landfill (or the ocean) to create texture as well as a statement. A brown plastic grocery bag stretched thinly became dry grasses. A plastic produce net stretched and gessoed across the panel provided a matrix for the rocky ground. Most obviously, the sign (which did exist in my reference photo) is made from a can of soda, a plastic straw, and two found real nails too short for any practical use. My title and the sign in the piece are a message. The wealthy and powerful in our society have proven unwilling to make sacrifices to keep our Earth habitable. The lives of many others are at stake, but that is a price they are willing to pay to keep making money. Though the sign in real life is to be taken literally, mine has another meaning: when the ocean rises, even the wealthy will swim.
Jackie Hanson (b. 1999, Belmont, NH) grew up in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, surrounded by the beauty of New England's outdoors. She graduated from New England College's Institute of Art and Design in 2022 with her BFA and currently works at the college library while building her creative practice. Fascinated by the vibrancy of nature and art media, she creates highly chromatic works in realism using gouache, watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media, exploring divergent themes in the spirit of play.
