What at first glance appear to be the directional strokes of feathers resolve as a tangle of lines evocative of plastic debris ingestion.
In seabird populations where coastlines are closest to loosely-concentrated collections of ocean debris in the southern Pacific, southern Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, almost every bird has ingested plastics. Bird populations, and related biodiversity, are at risk because of the impacts of waste plastics on marine environments.
On one level A Weight of Albatross represents the magnificence of these wonderful birds. But the artwork also poses serious questions about how we value and protect our natural heritage for future generations.
Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison, A weight of Albatross 2018, Steel and acrylic.