Plastic Wasteland

Imagine seeing the blue sky underground as you enter the subway at 72nd Street (B,C), where Yoko Ono has created SKY, a series of intricate ceramic mosaic murals of cloud-filled skies, fabricated by Mosaika Art & Design. As passengers move through the station, messages of hope that appear to be handwritten, float in the vast open sky, as the perspective shifts in each artwork. The transformation of photographs into mosaic sky paintings with subtle gradations in color and tone creates a visually striking environment.

“I’m thrilled that my new work, SKY, is at the 72nd street subway station just steps from my home and Strawberry Fields, which I created in memory of my late husband.  It brings the sky underground, so it’s always with us. I hope this will bring peace and joy to my fellow New Yorkers for many years to come.” - Yoko Ono.

Dunkin Rebrand

Environmental Installation in Sian Ka'an

Washed Up is an environmental installation and photography project by Alejandro Durán that transforms the international debris washing up on Mexico’s Caribbean coast into aesthetic yet disquieting works.

Over the course of this project Durán has identified plastic waste from fifty-three nations and territories on six continents that have washed ashore along the coast of Sian Ka'an, Mexico’s largest federally protected reserve and an UNESCO World Heritage site. He uses this international debris to create color-based, site-specific sculptures that conflate the hand of man and nature. At times he distributes the objects the way the waves would; at other times, the plastic mimics algae, roots, rivers, or fruit, reflecting the infiltration of plastics into the natural environment.

More than creating a surreal or fantastical landscape, these installations mirror the reality of our current environmental predicament. The resulting photo series depicts a new form of colonization by consumerism, where even undeveloped land is not safe from the far-reaching impact of our culture of disposable products. The alchemy of Washed Up lies not only in transforming a trashed landscape, but in the project’s potential to raise awareness and change our relationship to consumption and waste.

Singapore by Yik Keat 

In the words of the artist Yik Keat:

My name is Yik Keat and I’m a photographer based in Singapore. Raised in this modern and futuristic city, I am proud to call here home and it sure is amazing to be surrounded by the vast amount of culture and so many beautiful architectures in such a small place.

These series of images are a collective of what I shot over the past two or three years, enjoy!