"Plastic Torrent" originated from a digital photograph I took in 2023 at the Col de la Croix de Fer in Savoie. This landscape, often perceived as a pure and pristine environment, is revisited here to illustrate a less visible but alarming reality: the presence of microplastics in mountain lakes and streams. The print on brushed aluminum highlights the landscape's reliefs and textures, and over this, I painted with a pipette using a mixture of smoothing medium and dark iridescent glitter, symbolizing the plastic pollution that reaches even these remote regions.
Contrary to popular belief, mountain lakes and streams are not spared from plastic pollution. Microscopic fragments of plastic, carried by winds and human activities, accumulate in these waters, threatening aquatic life and degrading ecosystems still considered pristine today. This invisible yet insidious pollution reveals the global scale of the microplastic crisis, which affects even the most isolated places.
The artwork is inspired by the scientific study "High-mountain lakes as indicators of microplastic pollution," which highlights the increasing presence of microplastics in high-altitude lakes. These fragments originate primarily from atmospheric deposition and local human activities such as tourism. Transported by wind and precipitation, microplastics contaminate lakes located in remote regions, making these ecosystems key indicators of global pollution. This study underscores the importance of monitoring these sensitive environments to better understand the spread of microplastics on a planetary scale.
With Plastic Torrent, I once again seek to merge art and science to raise awareness about the plastic pollution crisis that threatens even the purest sources of fresh water. The dark glitter evokes the deceptive beauty of microplastics, concealing the dangers they pose to ecosystems and the human communities that depend on these resources. This work is a call to protect high-altitude ecosystems and to understand that even the most remote environments are no longer immune to the impacts of our modern lifestyles.
