Eco-Art Competition 2022

My sculpture is four ceramic globes attached vertically and placed inside a glass tube. The material used is terracotta and stoneware clay mixed together to create four Earth-adjacent worlds. On the pot are chia seeds, interpreting the theme: “Plant the Seed”. The tube acts as a greenhouse for the seeds by increasing moisture and promoting growth. The purpose of having four Earths is to represent a simple statistic: if every person lived like Americans do, we would need four Earths to sustain development. I believe this is four times too many. The purpose of this piece is to emphasize the gluttony of consumption that Americans have normalized. This pot is covered in the sparse actions taken to “Go green”, represented through chia seeds. A small portion of the pot is covered in lively, lush plants while the majority is dry and dead. By planting the seed of sustainable consumption through individual actions, each American can lead the way of sustainability and change the Earth from a brown, arid surface to one of life and growth. I’m scared of the future we’re creating, from overproduction of meaningless items to over consumption of food. We as Americans have a problem, and we as Americans have a responsibility to address it. I care deeply if my descendants are disadvantaged as a result of the choices generations of Americans have made and will make. I want this piece to hold those viewing it accountable. It is centered on the consumption of the individual American, so my hope is that the specific American viewing the piece feels as though they are contributing to the problem, to place blame in greedy actions and initiate change. A problem cannot be changed without the specific actions of each member of society, beginning with you.