#6

Example of artist statement created for students:

Technological innovations have allowed humans to create more durable and cost effective materials to enhance their lives, but there are negative long-term effects of these benefits and conveniences. Although advancements such as plastics have become crucial components of everyday existence, their lasting impact on the environment is of global concern.

The use of single-use plastic juice cups in the cafeteria of Essex High School generates bags of waste on a daily basis. This daily waste is multiplied by the days within the school year. The light sculpture “#6” seeks to highlight the daily waste produced and amplify it across a given space through the extension of shadows. The form is an abstract representation of a hornets’ nest, the school mascot. The florescent orange gradually overtakes the form, a warning to the dire state of plastics overwhelming the environment. The small floating flowerlike forms become engulfed into the form just as the light bulb (representing the queen hornet) is trapped in a plastic prison. The piece glows in the dark long after the light is turned off to further enforce the idea of the long-term effects of plastics.

The title “#6” derives from the plastic classification and the hexagonal shapes that form the hornet’s nest.

Misuk Weaver gains inspiration from the many talented and creative students she is privileged to student teach. She seeks to transform waste into a positive visual language to engage the community and bring attention to the detrimental existence of single-use plastics.