Michael Bartalos (0739945) Art of Recycling in Antarctica: The Long View
The "Art of Recycling in Antarctica: The Long View" project conceived by artist, Michael Bartalos will result in a sculptural book made from recyclable materials collected at McMurdo and South Pole stations in Antarctica. The artist intends that the project will "raise international awareness of resource conservation practices in Antarctica, and by extension, promote and inspire sustainability worldwide." The sculptural book, comprised of 100 vignettes housed in uniformly sized shadow boxes will be hinged to one another to display as a continuous, free-standing accordion-fold book structure. The artwork's lengthy form draws analogies to taking "the long view" in regard to worldwide environmental consciousness as exemplified by the U.S. Antarctic Program's rigorous recycling program. The artist will also adapt the sculptural project to that of a printed book and will create complementary digital formats, all of which will be available to the public.
The duration of the artist's stay in Antarctica is minimal as are the support needs of the artist while at McMurdo and South Pole stations. However, the final work has the potential to yield a considerable return on investment and call positive attention to the USAP recycling program. This project serves to inspire further learning about Antarctic environmental efforts and more broadly, the continent and ecosystem.
