To say that our shores are awash in plastics is an understatement. In fact, oceans, lakes and waterways are choking with the stuff—bags, bottles, straws, you name it.
And it probably comes as no surprise to learn that it’s not particularly a good thing for marine life, which is one of the points made vividly but artistically in the current exhibition Metamorphosis: Works by Sayaka Ganz and Aurora Robson at Lauritzen Gardens.
These two artists have been making sculptures independently that use pieces of our waste stream and repurpose them into creatures from both land and sea, real and imaginary. Magical might be the best way to describe their colorful and spirited transformations of kitchen utensils, toys, coat hangers, bottle caps and even highway safety barrels into soaring dolphins, dangling jellyfish and a rainbow arch of reef life.
Eighteen sculptures are located in the main display hall as well as in conservatory spaces. They invite close-up discovery of the ways that something representational may be constructed from ordinary yet disparate components. They also encourage a more critical view of our casual approach to plastics as the fabric of our lives.
Metamorphosis: Works by Sayaka Ganz and Aurora Robson continues at Lauritzen Gardens through May 13. Located at 100 Bancroft Street, the venue is open daily from 9am to 5pm. There is an admission fee for non-members.