Notes on Origin

In an attempt to address the problem of plastic debris in the oceans, I collected anthropogenic debris from the shore of Miami Beach — Miami is a city predicted to be under water in less than 100 years due to climate change. I hand-sculpted in clay all those elements that I collected; I fired and glazed them. I placed them on the wall in the formation of the celestial constellation Orion, aiming for the dialogue of three different environments.

Orion was a great giant hunter, in Greek mythology. His boast that he could rid the Earth of all the wild animals, however, angered the Earth goddess, Gaia, who expelled him and Zeus placed him among the stars as the constellation of Orion. Orion is visible from (almost) everywhere in the world and a reminder of arrogance. Recreating this constellation with marine debris but in ceramic (a natural material that has carried cultural stories from thousands of years) is an attempt to tell the story anew pointing to contemporary issues of hybris towards Earth.