seaweed – littoral: sci-art project

Posted by jcb990 on April 26, 2022 in #LitterCUBES, Public Engagement

LOST

I am very pleased to be collaborating with Eden Court, Inverness with my new project, LOST. An immersive Climate Action Exhibition showing in the amazing space of the Memorial Chapel at Eden Court, Sunday May 15 – Sunday June 12 2022.

Eden Court and I are both keen that the exhibition and accompanying events will continue the COP26 #ClimateCrisis story in the Highlands. LOST aims to show how plastic pollution directly contributes to the Climate Crisis. The work will highlight the amount of lost energy that plastic marine litter represents and explain the unseen and often misunderstood links to fossil fuels.

The exhibition will feature a collection of 18 #LitterCUBES. Each cube was hand-stitched and woven together from thousands of pieces of collected plastic beach litter. Myself and project volunteers collected, stitched and wove during 5 public events held in coastal towns around Scotland including Shetland, Ullapool, Easthaven, Dunbar and Eyemouth. A rolling film loop projected into the gallery space, will cyclically illustrate the dripping-away of 100 litres of oil, visually representing the lost energy embodied in the #LitterCUBES. Thanks to the volunteers who assisted me with the mathematical calculations to find the energy values of each CUBE!

9 large CUBES will form a central piece surrounded by prints of each litter item contained within

Film credit: Paul Barton DOP Edit: Veronica Vossen

CLIMATE ACTION EVENTS

Alongside LOST, we will be facilitating a two exciting Climate Action events.

World Environment Day Event Sunday 5 June, Eden Court, 4-6pm

I will be leading a tour around the LOST exhibition and along with event collaborators and Highland Recycling Partners, Greenhive and Plastic@Bay, we will show the Ocean Plastic Skipping Ropes from the #Greenfitness project.

RECYCLE: This Climate Action event will include an exhibition talk, explaining the recyclability of types of single use plastic and a presentation by Julien Moreau from Plastic@Bay, Durness will share their innovative idea for Decentralised Community Recycling in the Highlands.

Andy MacVicar from GreenHive, Nairn, will explain the useful recycle-ability of different types of single use plastics.

We will make a map of where each single use plastic items are likely to locate and concentrate in the world. Participants will be able to suggest and identify any products we need in the Highlands, that could be made from recycled plastic. Booking:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/recycle-world-environment-day-event-tickets-324806714627

World Ocean Day Event: Wednesday June 8 Cromarty Cinema Beach 4-6pm

MAKE: My newest work explores the potential of making alternative polymer materials from sustainable seaweed. I will be leading an exciting hands-on workshop on the beach, encouraging people to experiment making bio-plastics from seaweed.

Events are free and everyone is welcome. For more information, booking and access details visit https://eden-court.co.uk/

The World Environment Day, Climate Action event, RECYCLE is being supported through the Green Tease events series and network run by Creative Carbon Scotland. Find out more here: https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/project/green-tease/

The exhibition and events are gratefully being supported by The Pebble Trust & Eden Court.

The LOST exhibition artworks were made with the kind support of individuals through Crowd Funding Project donations from Trusts: Schiehallion Group, Rag, JA Clerk, Ullapool Harbour Trust, Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership, North Light Arts, Easthaven Together. Company donations: Eyemouth Marine, Neighbourly TK Max, John Lawrie Group. In-Kind donations: Dunbar Harbour Trust, Ullapool Harbour Trust, Eyemouth Harbour Trust, Eyemouth Hippodrome, SPLASH, Shetland Marine College, JJ Jamieson, Shetland Museum & Archives, The Swan Trust, An Talla Solais, North Link Ferries. Grants: Arts & Business Grant (Shetland), Shetland Council.

Posted by jcb990 on September 25, 2020 in Uncategorized

Counterbalance

I am often asked how I continue to work with marine litter year after year, fortunately I have a counterbalance, my love of seaweed. Seaweed has proven to be a beautiful counterbalance and antidote to my work with plastic beach litter. I recently shared my story with the Marine Conservation Society and Salvage Scotland.

Over the coming months I will be featuring exciting plans for the re-scheduled ‘Isle Martin Seaweed Festival’ #YCW2020 now taking place in 2021. I talk more about the festival in my recent conversation with John Ennis, Curator of Salvage Scotland’s Design Journey Journey to Isle Martin with artist Julia Barton .

Journey to Isle Martin with artist Julia Barton

To read more of my balancing act with litter and seaweed, visit the Marine Conservation Society Magazine for my interview with Clare Fischer ‘Seaweed, Science and Installations’.

Working on #LitterCUBES photo: @paulbartondop

While I continue to weave and thread marine litter, I will share my love of seaweed on Instagram @ju liabartonartist

Take a look. Please leave a comment/like here or on the above website links. Thank You!

Posted by jcb990 on May 26, 2020 in seaweed, Uncategorized

Kelp – Spring Tides

After years working along the high tide lines of the upper shores in Scotland, over the last few months I have been able to take advantage of the extreme low spring tides and venture into the lower shore which is only accessible on foot for a limited number of hours a year. Extending my investigations into the lower littoral zone has involved a series of slow and tricky journeys. Most of the shorelines of Coigach are extremely rocky so the lower shores have to be reached climbing over crags, boulders, pebbles and navigating narrow inlets.

I’ve been documenting and identifying the changing seaweed forms noting their colours, textures and taste .

As the tide finally stopped receding l was aware of having reached the extreme low water line, a fascinating dynamic place. Calm, good weather made perfect conditions to observe the largest of the brown marine algae, commonly known as Kelp.

For a few hours I examined the kelp beds, formed mostly by a strong leathery expanse of seaweed, including several of the Laminaria species, holding fast onto boulders beneath my feet and rock surfaces all around me.

Under their fronds I glimpsed a little of the sea life they attract and protect, including sea urchins and orange cushion starfish.

I have collected and dried bundles of Laminaria as I am contributing to a Kelp experiment being conducted by local archaeologist Cathy Dagg, who is researching how the Kelping industry operated in the late 18^th and 19th centuries.

My passion for seaweed grows exponentially every time I walk onto a beach and look into a rock pool. I am looking forward to making contact with other Seaweed-obsessed artists. Next year I will be curating the Isle Martin Seaweed Festival originally planned as part of Visit Scotland’s Year of Coast and Waters #YCW2020, now rescheduled to take place in 2021. Many unique activities and events with scientists, artists, chefs, archaeologists, seafarers, musicians, students, residents and visitors will take place.

Until then I will continue enjoying observing, recording and experimenting on the shoreline and in my studio.

Posted by jcb990 on February 12, 2018 in Uncategorized

Littoral reflection

Winter snowfalls are providing a welcome respite from seeing strand-line plastic – allowing time for focusing on the natural forms of familiar Northern shorelines. One of the lowest tides this winter took place on the 2nd February- allowing access to see some of the biggest and heaviest of our marine algae – Laminaria (Kelp) beautifully bowed over, shiny and relaxed in the slack water . The ‘stand of the tide’ provided me the opportunity for a few hours observation of these brown seaweeds. Close up its easy to appreciate that they produce the main plant material for the coastal food web. Anchored along the low water line and out into the sub-tidal zone the submerged kelp form ‘forests’ – a perfect habitat for fish, shellfish and other animals to get food and find hiding places. The rich biodiversity of our coastline is fascinating and clear to see when walking through this dynamic inter-tidal world/zone .

As the media begins to wake up to the ‘Plastic Pollution’ issue evidenced on our shore lines, I revel in my momentary ‘Plastic Free’ time in the Littoral Zones

reinvigorated by many winter walks in this rich dynamic environment I am preparing to seek out support for my work – to visually tell the story of this important ecological CONTACT ZONE that is now constantly battered and often smothered by our litter.

I am looking for online help to crowd fund for the next phase of this project focusing on making work in public settings this year, to be toured to Harbours, Ports, Museums, Street Festivals next year. Please get in touch if you can offer any help by leaving a comment below or emailing me Julia Barton littoralartproject@btinternet.com