Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Iris Time

Yellow iris's are in bloom along with some of the lily pads. So while I scoop trash from the windward side of the marsh islands, I am treated to a yellow spatter of iris flowers right at my eye level. Today it is in the 60's with a light wind. I start at Portage Bay, paddle to Union Bay to pick trash and then exit at the South end of Lake Union. But --

My first thoughts came as I walked my canoe to the lake and since my hand is well inside the canoe, I guess I can compromise and count it as a view from the canoe. I'm making a sculpture using the plastic debris that I've recovered from the lake. I want to be as green as possible, but the sculpture also has to survive outside in the weather. So, I'm gluing it together with some heavy duty industrial glue. I thought of melting it together, but that brings in the use of fossil fuel - plus the toxicity of melting plastic. Of course, natural fiber cord could hold it all together, for awhile, at which time it would self destruct and end up back in the trash cycle and the message behind the work is lost. Saving the environment will require some compromises also. But, it will also require no compromise on many issues. That is where we will fail as it is human nature to see everything as negotiable. And, Mother Nature is tolerant in the short term, but does not negotiate on the long term.

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