Reflection Synthetic - National Arts Festival 2011

After crossing the Southern Atlantic Ocean in January, Simon Max Bannister has returned from exploring the vast watery wasteland that is the paradox of plastic pollution. Our need to keep pace with the driving force of our consumption is leaving a strange colourful and twisted trail in its wake. Exploring once again this peculiar menacing medium at the National Arts Fest is Max's pleasure to share.

Title of work: "Reflection Synthetic"- Screen shots below...




"While working with sculpting and reheating salvaged plastic, I would take pictures during my process. These moments in transformation in the polymer lifespan yielded complex organic forms. Taking these digital images, I have now made an evocative endless looping visual projection that moves through a variety of layered images overlayed with footage of swirling microplastic fragments. Archetypal forms and feelings emerge throughout the interplay of these visuals seascapes and sounds. To give wasted plastic back its beauty, its integrity and usefulness fuels my fire to confront this leviathan of pollution. The broken pieces lost to our desire, come back to live as an alluring undersea vision of our synthetic world."



Max is working in collaboration with The Woodstock Art Reef Project(WARP) who are hosted by the Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC) and the sustainability commons at Rhodes University to create an undersea installation experience. Max has also supported the Arkwork collective and his exhibition is a contribution to the COPART movement.

Click here for to find the ELRC


Location: Rhodes Sustainability Commons - ELRC (Environmental Learning Research Centre)
Dates: 2 July - 10 July
Times: All day (9am - 5pm)
Climate fluency exchange Talk: 4th July - 10:00 am (at the ELRC)