Plastics are in places on the planet that we are only beginning to fathom. Literally fathoms below. Increasing amounts of microplastics exist in the internal tissues of vast numbers of marine species at all points of the ocean water column, from the largest mammals to the smallest organisms. The complexity of marine food webs mean that the spread of plastics in organisms may be impossible to slow.
P.E.T. Colonies of the Deep explores salps, colonial siphonophores documented with microplastics within their biomass, of the phylum Cnidaria which also includes jellyfish, coral, and anemones. Salps are translucent and bioluminescent zooids that often exist in ethereal floating strings at varying depths including aphotic zones, where light does not naturally penetrate and the color spectrum narrows.
The salp colony sculpture is created using collected common plastic objects that could otherwise become trash and be rainswept into the bayou system and eventually the ocean through the watershed when we do not take care in mitigating human impacts on the environment. The colony structures of siphonophores combined with the untethered nature of the colonial movement through the water column reflects our current path of thoughtless consumerism which led to the widespread waterway contamination.
Eepi Chaad (she|her) is a practicing multidisciplinary artist, advocate, and naturalist based in the Gulf Coast region. She tells stories using textiles, fibers, metals, places, and people. Chaad studies humanity’s relationship to both natural and built environments. She illustrates social and environmental issues using scale & mapping and grows her practice through community collaborations. Chaad has received various regional and national grants and awards including being named one of the first resident artists for the City of Houston as well as more recent projects including a residency with the CAMH and a public art installation in Galveston.
Nurturing a role as a cultural worker in the community is key to Chaad’s sense of practice. She has spent formative time working with organizations including Art League Houston and Artist Boat in Galveston. She currently serves as Director of Partnerships & Learning with Arts Connect Houston as well as serving as part of the team of facilitators for Artist INC Houston, the PrintMatters Houston Board of Directors, and the Houston Museum Educators Roundtable Steering Committee. Chaad believes art is for every community and creativity is in every human.