WEBVTT - Kat Owens Raises Environmental Awareness Through Art

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<v Speaker 1>This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the

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<v Speaker 1>Thing from iHeart Radio. If you've passed through Bradley International

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<v Speaker 1>Airport recently, you may have noticed a sixty foot long,

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<v Speaker 1>twenty foot wide, life size portrait of a sperm whale

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<v Speaker 1>made from discarded plastic bags and shipping mailers. The piece

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<v Speaker 1>was created by My Guest Today as part of her

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<v Speaker 1>ongoing Entangled and Ingested art series. Tat Owens is not

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<v Speaker 1>only an ambitious artist, she is also a plastic pollution researcher, activist,

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<v Speaker 1>and professor. Owens merges science, policy and the arts to

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<v Speaker 1>create life size portraits of the animals harmed by plastic

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<v Speaker 1>pollution to raise environmental awareness. Caat Owens is also a

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<v Speaker 1>National Geographic Explorer, Fulbright Nehrew Fellow and a professor at

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<v Speaker 1>the University of Hartford in Connecticut. Owens seamlessly blacken her

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<v Speaker 1>visual art with her day to day work. I wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to know if she first considered herself to be an

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<v Speaker 1>artist or an environmentalist.

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<v Speaker 2>That's a good question. I would say an artist first. Definitely.

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<v Speaker 2>From a young age, I was very interested in drawing

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<v Speaker 2>and making things, and fortunately was able to get some

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<v Speaker 2>art lessons and things before I got to school age

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<v Speaker 2>where it was available through schools. And then I went

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<v Speaker 2>to college, the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and

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<v Speaker 2>I was a studio art major there and got exposed

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<v Speaker 2>to all kinds of amazing things painting, printmaking, a little

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<v Speaker 2>bit of sculpture drawing. But when I was at college,

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<v Speaker 2>the subject matter for all of my work was insects.

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<v Speaker 2>I was really into bugs.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, so bugs came into the picture when.

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<v Speaker 2>In high school I had a high school biology class

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<v Speaker 2>where we had to do a bug collection. And I

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<v Speaker 2>was always like an outdoorsy kind of kid, but that's

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<v Speaker 2>when I started collecting bug And then I went to

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<v Speaker 2>college and I was kind of just you know, your

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<v Speaker 2>art teacher says like make something, and you don't know

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<v Speaker 2>what to make, right, you know, Nothing's like your brain's

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<v Speaker 2>not working like that yet, really like thinking about deep

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<v Speaker 2>thoughts quite yet. So I was like, oh, I'm going

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<v Speaker 2>to make I've got all these insects, I'm going to

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<v Speaker 2>start making art. And so I really got into it

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<v Speaker 2>and would be like I was the bug girl at

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<v Speaker 2>my college and people would bring me bugs. I would

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<v Speaker 2>go out to bars and people would be like Oh

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<v Speaker 2>my god, I found this great moth. I'm going to

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<v Speaker 2>bring it to you to the studio next week and

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<v Speaker 2>they would, which was really fun. Then I graduated with

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<v Speaker 2>an art degree, and back then in the nineties, they

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<v Speaker 2>were kind of like, yeah, good luck. No information about

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<v Speaker 2>like how to start a career. They said, if you're lucky,

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<v Speaker 2>after you're dead, people might be interested in your art work.

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<v Speaker 2>So I waitressed for two years and then I was like,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I think I'd like to study science more formally,

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<v Speaker 2>and so I sat in on an entomology class. The

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<v Speaker 2>professor at the College of Charleston let me in on

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<v Speaker 2>his class, and I really loved it, and so then

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<v Speaker 2>I decided to take the plunge. I went back to

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<v Speaker 2>school and got degrees in biology and anthropology and all

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<v Speaker 2>the work what I was doing was connected to insects. Why, well,

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<v Speaker 2>they're fascinating.

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<v Speaker 1>No, I mean, I agree, there are great I watched

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<v Speaker 1>my share of insect documentaries, But like, you really go

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<v Speaker 1>down this road, I mean, you get degrees and all

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<v Speaker 1>these really really heady subjects. What was the goal? Where

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<v Speaker 1>were you? You weren't going to be an artist, you

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<v Speaker 1>were going to do what.

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<v Speaker 2>I thought at the time that I would be a scientist,

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<v Speaker 2>that I would go to graduate school and study entomology.

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<v Speaker 2>I was especially into beatles, and I started a master's

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<v Speaker 2>degree at the College of Charleston and environmental studies, and

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<v Speaker 2>I was on the brink of doing a project about

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<v Speaker 2>ground beetles in the Smoky Mountains and I loved it.

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<v Speaker 2>But then over time I had realized, if you're an entomologist,

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<v Speaker 2>you spend like six weeks out collecting bugs and the

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<v Speaker 2>rest of the year looking through microscopes counting leg parts. Know,

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<v Speaker 2>And I thought, I don't know if I if I

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<v Speaker 2>want to spend the rest of my life indoors looking

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<v Speaker 2>through a microscope. And so I got more interested in

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<v Speaker 2>sort of like the environmental policy side of things. And

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<v Speaker 2>so I switched from the science track to the policy

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<v Speaker 2>track in my master's program and started.

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<v Speaker 1>Studying this is where's what's school at.

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<v Speaker 2>The College of Charleston in South Carolina?

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<v Speaker 1>And what is this place you went? It's called twin It's.

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<v Speaker 2>Called University of Fenta in the Netherlands.

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<v Speaker 1>And you were there how long a while?

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<v Speaker 2>Almost five years? It was amazing that was for what program?

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<v Speaker 2>It was a PhD program in sustainability and governance.

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<v Speaker 1>So you have Do you have a PhD? You finished? Yeah?

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<v Speaker 2>Definitely, My god.

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<v Speaker 1>What was it like studying that there?

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<v Speaker 2>Very cool? I mean I loved being in the Netherlands,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, no car biking everywhere. Wonderful place to be,

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<v Speaker 2>sort of like young and broke. I have my two

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<v Speaker 2>oldest children. I had the there because it was free

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<v Speaker 2>and you got all kinds of support.

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<v Speaker 1>How old are your kids now?

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<v Speaker 2>They are just turning. Their birthdays are last week and

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<v Speaker 2>next week, twenty and eighteen.

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<v Speaker 1>No, yeah, what does your husband do?

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<v Speaker 2>He at the time, he was for a long time

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<v Speaker 2>he was building timber barns out of like you know

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<v Speaker 2>they do like hand barn raising.

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<v Speaker 1>Sure, and very expensive barns.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I know a guy if you need a cheap one.

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<v Speaker 2>But he did that for a long time, and then

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<v Speaker 2>about ten years ago he's like, I can't keep climbing

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<v Speaker 2>up these ladders, like this is I'm getting too old

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<v Speaker 2>for this. And he went back to school and now

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<v Speaker 2>he teaches botany in Connecticut.

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<v Speaker 1>So you stayed five years in the Netherlands. Yeah, but

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<v Speaker 1>that's what it took for you to do the program

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<v Speaker 1>the doctor. Yeah, and the degree was in what again.

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<v Speaker 2>It's governance and sustainability. It's like environmental policy, right.

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<v Speaker 1>And when you went into that knowing it was going

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<v Speaker 1>to be five years of your life, what was the goal? Meaning?

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<v Speaker 1>Year along the way before you started making artwork of

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<v Speaker 1>innocent animals being contaminated and poisoned by our hands. What

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<v Speaker 1>was the goal before? Were you thinking of going into

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<v Speaker 1>some kind of administrative job, or you wanted an appointment,

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<v Speaker 1>you wanted to work for a state, you wanted to

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<v Speaker 1>run for office. What was the goal then?

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<v Speaker 2>I think, I, you know, I had all these degrees, right,

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<v Speaker 2>I spent a lot of time as an undergraduate. I

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<v Speaker 2>loved the professors I had, and I thought I want

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<v Speaker 2>to be like them. I want to get a PhD

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<v Speaker 2>and teach at a university. And that's how I ended

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<v Speaker 2>up kind of on that track.

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<v Speaker 1>When you finished in the University of Venta, when you

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<v Speaker 1>graduated from that.

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<v Speaker 2>What year was that two thousand and eight?

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, so that's a while ago, that's seventeen years ago.

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<v Speaker 1>And what was the plan you were going to go do?

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<v Speaker 2>What?

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<v Speaker 1>And what happened?

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<v Speaker 2>I started looking for jobs at colleges, at universities, full

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<v Speaker 2>time teaching jobs. Yeah, that's when I came over. My

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<v Speaker 2>husband was doing the timber framing at that time, and

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<v Speaker 2>he was like, can we go somewhere where there are

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<v Speaker 2>trees and barns, like a history of trees and barns,

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<v Speaker 2>And so we were almost exclusively looking in New England.

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<v Speaker 2>And I applied for the job at the University of

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<v Speaker 2>Hartford and I got that and I've been there for

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<v Speaker 2>eighteen years.

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<v Speaker 1>So nothing in your academic career revisited Georgia. When you

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<v Speaker 1>grew up in Georgia, you left Georgia never to return.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, I go to sea family, but I haven't

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<v Speaker 2>lived there since I was eighteen.

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<v Speaker 1>Now.

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<v Speaker 2>I lived in Charleston for ten years, and then the Netherlands,

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<v Speaker 2>and then I've been in Connecticut ever since.

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<v Speaker 1>When you started this work, what did you see like

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<v Speaker 1>for me, I see that plastics pollution has usurped many

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<v Speaker 1>other environmental issues because everybody's under the impression we've all

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<v Speaker 1>been contaminated by massive amounts of plastics pollution. What was

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<v Speaker 1>the thing that alarmed you that you decided you wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to pivot into this art project you've been doing.

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<v Speaker 2>I was playing around with it as early as twenty twelve,

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<v Speaker 2>but I really started during the pandemic, doing the the artwork,

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<v Speaker 2>and focusing on this particular project. So at that time,

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<v Speaker 2>I'd been studying water policy for about twenty years, and

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<v Speaker 2>plastic pollution started to be a big issue within environmental

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<v Speaker 2>policy and water policy. And the more I looked at it,

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<v Speaker 2>I knew in Connecticut, on Long Island Sound, we weren't

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<v Speaker 2>one of these places like you can see stories on

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<v Speaker 2>the Midway Islands in Hawaii where they just get like

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<v Speaker 2>tons of plastic like showing up on their islands. And

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<v Speaker 2>I knew we weren't one of those kinds of places.

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<v Speaker 2>But I wanted to know sort of like what this

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<v Speaker 2>big global problem looked like in my neck of the woods.

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<v Speaker 2>So I applied for funding from NOAH, the National Oceanic

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<v Speaker 2>and Atmospheric Administration, and the idea of the project was

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<v Speaker 2>that I would take my students from the University of

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<v Speaker 2>Hartford and we'd go down to the beach and collect

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<v Speaker 2>debris and analyze it and then share the results with policymakers,

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<v Speaker 2>like I wanted to make that connection.

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<v Speaker 1>Between state or federal.

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<v Speaker 2>State level policymakers, so we did that. That was funding

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<v Speaker 2>that I got in twenty sixteen to do that project.

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<v Speaker 2>And it was really fun, really cool experience for my students.

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<v Speaker 2>And then based on that, I applied for funding from

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<v Speaker 2>the Fulbright Foundation to replicate that project in a place

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<v Speaker 2>called Thoruvn and Thaperam, India, which is in southwest India.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's the same idea. We go, we collect debris

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<v Speaker 2>and we analyze it, we use scientific methods to do

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<v Speaker 2>it and then share the results with policymakers. And you know,

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<v Speaker 2>while I was there, I got it funded from the

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<v Speaker 2>National Geographic Society too, to train other folks from around

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<v Speaker 2>India in these methods.

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<v Speaker 1>Did they have a lot of money available for that

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<v Speaker 1>kind of thing?

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<v Speaker 2>National Geographic Society they have a really strong grant program

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<v Speaker 2>and once you get in the door as an explorer,

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<v Speaker 2>they offer all kinds of like really great opportunities to

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<v Speaker 2>collaborate with other explorers and do all kinds of neat projects.

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<v Speaker 2>So I'm very grateful.

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<v Speaker 1>No these grants or grants that we might assume maybe

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<v Speaker 1>not that are going to evaporate pretty soon.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know. I mean, National Geographic is independent, but

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<v Speaker 2>Noah has certainly been impacted.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, That's what I's referring to.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, yeah, which is a shame, right, because it's

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<v Speaker 2>really about like protecting resources for all of us that

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<v Speaker 2>are critical for our survival, something we should all care about.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, you know, for me, the beginnings or some of

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<v Speaker 1>the beginnings of this. I mean, I've worked with people

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<v Speaker 1>at U n EP, the former U n DP Development Program.

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<v Speaker 1>I've worked with people for years now, and much of

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<v Speaker 1>it related to plastics pollution. And you know, some of

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<v Speaker 1>the initial you know, pulsing, dramatic presentations were about the

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<v Speaker 1>Pacific garbage gyre out there throwing off all kinds of

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<v Speaker 1>you know, it's just a piece of a giant garbage

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<v Speaker 1>jump leeching plastic into the water in the baking sun,

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<v Speaker 1>the size of Rhode Island or whatever the hell it

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<v Speaker 1>is now Texas. Okay, Well, I was hoping you wouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>say that, But I'm so sorry, Saith, but the I

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<v Speaker 1>don't want to discourage our listeners. But when I was young,

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<v Speaker 1>recycling was it you were told and if you could

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<v Speaker 1>compose or whatever, you know. I made efforts in all

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<v Speaker 1>those areas. But now plastics pollution seems to be the devil.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, everybody's really, really, really uptight about this. When

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<v Speaker 1>did you first become aware of this and what kind

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<v Speaker 1>of work were you doing even as a child.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, I wasn't really engaged on things around plastic

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<v Speaker 2>and climate change or things like that as a child.

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<v Speaker 2>My awareness came much later because I am from a

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<v Speaker 2>very small town, rural town in Georgia. But you know,

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<v Speaker 2>it's definitely for me in college and then later in

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<v Speaker 2>graduate school and even as someone who studies it. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>my eyes have been opened so much over the last

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<v Speaker 2>decade about recycling and what's really happening with recycling. I

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<v Speaker 2>do recycle. I try to recycle, but it doesn't make

0:11:58.160 --> 0:12:01.240
<v Speaker 2>me feel good all the time because I don't truly

0:12:01.360 --> 0:12:04.679
<v Speaker 2>believe that a lot of the recycling is happening.

0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:05.800
<v Speaker 1>Right being handled properly.

0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:08.760
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, And so what happened in twenty eighteen or

0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:12.000
<v Speaker 2>twenty nineteen, China put this policy in place called the

0:12:12.120 --> 0:12:15.720
<v Speaker 2>National Sword Policy, where they said they were no longer

0:12:15.760 --> 0:12:19.920
<v Speaker 2>going to take our basically like shredded bales of plastic

0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:23.920
<v Speaker 2>and recycle them anymore. And when that happened, the sort

0:12:23.920 --> 0:12:28.480
<v Speaker 2>of market for recycling disappeared because no one wants it.

0:12:29.080 --> 0:12:32.640
<v Speaker 2>And so I know that, you know, whereas local government's,

0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:35.080
<v Speaker 2>municipal governments used to get a little bit of money.

0:12:35.240 --> 0:12:37.720
<v Speaker 2>I mean it probably added up to like a couple

0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:40.320
<v Speaker 2>ten thousand dollars, you know, for a town like my

0:12:40.440 --> 0:12:43.160
<v Speaker 2>town over the year. Now there's no market for it.

0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:52.800
<v Speaker 1>Researcher, activist, and artist kat Owens. If you enjoy conversations

0:12:52.840 --> 0:12:56.480
<v Speaker 1>with artists inspired by nature, check out my episode with

0:12:56.760 --> 0:13:03.400
<v Speaker 1>photographer Carolyn Marx Blackwood. So singing writing the photography on

0:13:03.440 --> 0:13:05.640
<v Speaker 1>that level, do they overlap.

0:13:05.360 --> 0:13:09.439
<v Speaker 3>Yes, and they overlap to this day, I'm doing photography.

0:13:09.679 --> 0:13:14.079
<v Speaker 3>I'm having museum shows that are coming up, i have

0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:18.600
<v Speaker 3>galleries where I have shows, and I'm making movies with

0:13:18.679 --> 0:13:22.480
<v Speaker 3>my partner. So when one part of my brain gets tired,

0:13:23.000 --> 0:13:25.200
<v Speaker 3>I go to the other thing, and it's just a

0:13:25.240 --> 0:13:28.720
<v Speaker 3>whole other part of my brain. It's wonderful.

0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:33.400
<v Speaker 1>To hear my conversation with Carolyn Marx Blackwood. Go to

0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:38.280
<v Speaker 1>Here's the Thing dot Org. After the break, kat Owens

0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:42.440
<v Speaker 1>talks about the goal behind her Entangled and Ingested series

0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:55.880
<v Speaker 1>and what she is trying to say through art. I'm

0:13:55.920 --> 0:14:00.360
<v Speaker 1>Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the Thing. Has

0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:04.640
<v Speaker 1>traveled the world for her research. After attending college in Charleston,

0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:08.599
<v Speaker 1>Owens spent five years in the Netherlands completing her PhD.

0:14:09.280 --> 0:14:14.240
<v Speaker 1>She continued her research in Finland, India, Indonesia, and Uganda.

0:14:14.960 --> 0:14:18.240
<v Speaker 1>These days, Owens resides in Connecticut and teaches at the

0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:23.280
<v Speaker 1>University of Hartford. Owens and her students gather samples and

0:14:23.400 --> 0:14:28.240
<v Speaker 1>data from marine debris collected along the Connecticut shorelines. Having

0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:31.640
<v Speaker 1>lived and studied in so many unique places across the world,

0:14:31.960 --> 0:14:34.880
<v Speaker 1>I wanted to know what drew Owens to Connecticut.

0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:40.080
<v Speaker 2>I applied to a few universities in the Northeast for

0:14:40.120 --> 0:14:41.840
<v Speaker 2>a job, and I came to Hartford, and I really

0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:45.720
<v Speaker 2>loved it. It has a real potential for interdisciplinary work

0:14:45.720 --> 0:14:48.720
<v Speaker 2>because it has a music school, an art school, an

0:14:48.720 --> 0:14:51.840
<v Speaker 2>engineering school, a College of Arts and Sciences, a business school.

0:14:51.960 --> 0:14:54.720
<v Speaker 2>So it's got a lot of depth, even though it's

0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:59.640
<v Speaker 2>a really small institution, relatively small institution. So I thought

0:14:59.760 --> 0:15:02.040
<v Speaker 2>that would be that they might kind of get my

0:15:02.120 --> 0:15:06.760
<v Speaker 2>whole interdisciplinary way of doing things and it might be more,

0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:09.800
<v Speaker 2>you know, just like a good place to grow and thrive.

0:15:10.080 --> 0:15:12.640
<v Speaker 2>And then they hired me, so like that all came together.

0:15:13.040 --> 0:15:16.400
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, they're geniuses if they hired me. Now described for me.

0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:21.360
<v Speaker 1>You said you started this that the artwork, the specific

0:15:21.440 --> 0:15:25.120
<v Speaker 1>artwork we're talking about in doing COVID, and interesting how

0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:28.120
<v Speaker 1>a lot of people needed something like that to soothe

0:15:28.160 --> 0:15:31.160
<v Speaker 1>them and we all had our way to negotiate our

0:15:31.200 --> 0:15:35.640
<v Speaker 1>way through COVID. Described to me the genesis of the pieces,

0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:40.520
<v Speaker 1>described me, how that process begins. Is it all recycled material?

0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:44.120
<v Speaker 1>Described to me what you're making as an artist.

0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:47.480
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, So this began during COVID when all of that

0:15:47.520 --> 0:15:50.280
<v Speaker 2>research that I was doing out in the field got

0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:54.200
<v Speaker 2>canceled and my regular job. And it's true, I'm sure

0:15:54.240 --> 0:15:56.520
<v Speaker 2>for everyone who was in education at any level at

0:15:56.560 --> 0:15:59.320
<v Speaker 2>that time, like it just exploded into all this terrible

0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:02.520
<v Speaker 2>you know, you're stuck in these meetings, you're making choices

0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:05.640
<v Speaker 2>that aren't great. And I was really stuck in a

0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:08.320
<v Speaker 2>lot of ZOOM meetings at that time and struggling with

0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:10.920
<v Speaker 2>it because I'd just come back from India. I had

0:16:10.920 --> 0:16:12.920
<v Speaker 2>all this kind of momentum behind my work and I

0:16:12.960 --> 0:16:15.520
<v Speaker 2>thought like things are really coming together, like maybe we

0:16:15.560 --> 0:16:19.400
<v Speaker 2>can change policy on this issue. So what I started

0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:23.080
<v Speaker 2>to do is to create these life size portraits of

0:16:23.520 --> 0:16:29.000
<v Speaker 2>different species that are harmed by plastic pollution, such as well,

0:16:29.040 --> 0:16:31.080
<v Speaker 2>I mean, they're over five hundred of them.

0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:32.320
<v Speaker 1>Sure, what was your first one?

0:16:32.760 --> 0:16:37.480
<v Speaker 2>The fairy penguin, which is a little, a little cute

0:16:37.600 --> 0:16:40.520
<v Speaker 2>blue penguin that I believe is from It goes between

0:16:40.520 --> 0:16:43.640
<v Speaker 2>South Africa and Antarctica. I'm not a penguin.

0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:45.680
<v Speaker 1>Why that animal?

0:16:45.760 --> 0:16:49.320
<v Speaker 2>Why it's cute and it's small. I started small because

0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:51.200
<v Speaker 2>I wasn't. So what I do is I hand so

0:16:51.680 --> 0:16:54.960
<v Speaker 2>film plastics onto canvas to make these portraits.

0:16:55.280 --> 0:16:58.080
<v Speaker 1>When you say film plastics, you mean what by that?

0:16:58.200 --> 0:17:00.920
<v Speaker 2>I mean any kind of like soft PLI A plastic

0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:02.160
<v Speaker 2>that's not too.

0:17:02.080 --> 0:17:03.480
<v Speaker 1>Thick, plastic bags.

0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:06.719
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's plastic bags. It's a lot of like food packaging,

0:17:07.000 --> 0:17:11.159
<v Speaker 2>a lot of mailers, you know from online stores.

0:17:11.040 --> 0:17:13.080
<v Speaker 1>Remember like the little window you cut out?

0:17:13.520 --> 0:17:16.880
<v Speaker 2>No, not that that's cellulos. I don't really worry about

0:17:16.920 --> 0:17:19.720
<v Speaker 2>that because I'm often looking for colors, not for clear plastic.

0:17:19.920 --> 0:17:22.760
<v Speaker 1>Right too. You have a storage facility for this material?

0:17:24.359 --> 0:17:26.320
<v Speaker 2>I mean I have a lot of bins, and my

0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:30.240
<v Speaker 2>biggest problem is that people save it for me, and

0:17:30.280 --> 0:17:31.880
<v Speaker 2>they give it to me and it's almost too much

0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:33.560
<v Speaker 2>for me to process. I've had to ask and I

0:17:33.600 --> 0:17:35.840
<v Speaker 2>only have like four or five people who save stuff

0:17:35.840 --> 0:17:38.359
<v Speaker 2>for me. And then give it to me. But it's

0:17:38.680 --> 0:17:42.119
<v Speaker 2>overwhelming because there's so much. And you know, I have

0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:43.800
<v Speaker 2>one friend. Every time we go for a walk, she

0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:46.639
<v Speaker 2>hands me like a bag of garbage because it's all

0:17:46.640 --> 0:17:50.200
<v Speaker 2>the stuff her family, you know, the squash they eat

0:17:50.400 --> 0:17:53.040
<v Speaker 2>and the fruit that they make smoothies from. It all

0:17:53.080 --> 0:17:55.080
<v Speaker 2>comes in these plastic bags.

0:17:56.080 --> 0:17:58.040
<v Speaker 1>So the first one you did, and when you say

0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:01.080
<v Speaker 1>life size, what's the biggest issue made?

0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:03.840
<v Speaker 2>So the biggest one I've made so far is the

0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:07.600
<v Speaker 2>sixty foot sperm whale. It's sixty feet long.

0:18:08.080 --> 0:18:10.600
<v Speaker 1>No, yeah, and you did this? Where where do you?

0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:11.439
<v Speaker 1>Where's your studio?

0:18:11.960 --> 0:18:16.200
<v Speaker 2>My studio is not that big post COVID. In my town, Middletown, Connecticut,

0:18:16.240 --> 0:18:21.000
<v Speaker 2>the downtown business district was trying to get people onto

0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:25.280
<v Speaker 2>main street because people had stopped going outside right And

0:18:25.520 --> 0:18:28.720
<v Speaker 2>there was an old Woolworth's building and they let me

0:18:28.800 --> 0:18:32.000
<v Speaker 2>get in there and use it a local kids museum

0:18:32.040 --> 0:18:34.159
<v Speaker 2>built like some walls around the front of it. It's

0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:36.879
<v Speaker 2>a place called kid City, and they let me use

0:18:36.920 --> 0:18:40.760
<v Speaker 2>it as an open studio for six months, which was huge.

0:18:40.800 --> 0:18:42.280
<v Speaker 2>I mean I never would have been able to do

0:18:42.359 --> 0:18:44.880
<v Speaker 2>that in my living room. And I had just open

0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:47.240
<v Speaker 2>studio days where people could show up. A lot of

0:18:47.240 --> 0:18:49.960
<v Speaker 2>people would just walk by and kind of say, like,

0:18:50.000 --> 0:18:50.840
<v Speaker 2>what is happening here?

0:18:50.920 --> 0:18:53.080
<v Speaker 1>You know, they can see into this glass out receiver.

0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:54.159
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, big glass windows.

0:18:54.200 --> 0:18:55.560
<v Speaker 1>Spot a glass okay.

0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:58.520
<v Speaker 2>Yeah yeah, big open front. And I had all the

0:18:58.560 --> 0:19:00.280
<v Speaker 2>pieces that were done at that time. It was probably

0:19:00.320 --> 0:19:03.399
<v Speaker 2>like twenty pieces up on the walls around and so

0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:06.320
<v Speaker 2>people could come in and just like check it out

0:19:06.480 --> 0:19:08.600
<v Speaker 2>or sow and you know, I would have people sew

0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:10.720
<v Speaker 2>for like a few minutes, and I had some people

0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:13.359
<v Speaker 2>who kept coming back over and over again for weeks,

0:19:13.600 --> 0:19:14.480
<v Speaker 2>which was really cool.

0:19:14.640 --> 0:19:16.720
<v Speaker 1>Well, but you worked your way toward the whale. You

0:19:16.760 --> 0:19:19.760
<v Speaker 1>didn't go full on whale now, you know day three.

0:19:19.760 --> 0:19:23.960
<v Speaker 2>Right, No, No, I had done probably thirty of them,

0:19:24.280 --> 0:19:26.159
<v Speaker 2>you know by the time I tried with the whale

0:19:26.240 --> 0:19:30.120
<v Speaker 2>and crammed as many, you know, of the larger pieces

0:19:30.160 --> 0:19:32.960
<v Speaker 2>as I could into my home studio. So I had

0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:36.639
<v Speaker 2>sharks like going around like walls, you know, two or

0:19:36.640 --> 0:19:40.080
<v Speaker 2>three walls of the studio because they didn't fit otherwise.

0:19:40.680 --> 0:19:42.760
<v Speaker 2>And I've definitely had them out in our living room.

0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:47.360
<v Speaker 2>My family's like can you please put that away? I mean,

0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:50.400
<v Speaker 2>I was trying to with this project. What I'm trying

0:19:50.440 --> 0:19:53.680
<v Speaker 2>to do is make connections between all of us and

0:19:53.920 --> 0:19:57.960
<v Speaker 2>this problem, because it's often in the scientific literature, they're

0:19:57.960 --> 0:20:00.959
<v Speaker 2>often like kind of pointing a finger towards developing world

0:20:01.359 --> 0:20:04.000
<v Speaker 2>and saying, of course, these are the dirtiest places in

0:20:04.000 --> 0:20:06.840
<v Speaker 2>the world. These are the worst polluting countries. These rivers

0:20:06.960 --> 0:20:09.760
<v Speaker 2>are the top ten dirtiest rivers. And it's always the

0:20:09.760 --> 0:20:12.960
<v Speaker 2>global South. And I'm not an expert in India. After

0:20:13.000 --> 0:20:14.320
<v Speaker 2>spending six months there.

0:20:14.240 --> 0:20:17.080
<v Speaker 1>Why do you think it's that way there? Why when

0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:20.639
<v Speaker 1>you see footage of like some river in India, it's

0:20:20.680 --> 0:20:22.360
<v Speaker 1>just like a stream of garbage going.

0:20:22.600 --> 0:20:24.880
<v Speaker 2>Yes, yeah, I mean it is a huge problem there.

0:20:24.960 --> 0:20:27.439
<v Speaker 2>They don't have the waste infrastructure that we have, so

0:20:27.560 --> 0:20:30.359
<v Speaker 2>like their garbage isn't picked up the way are garbage is.

0:20:30.960 --> 0:20:35.320
<v Speaker 2>And like in our community where we lived in India,

0:20:35.400 --> 0:20:39.080
<v Speaker 2>you know, it's very common to gather all kinds of

0:20:39.160 --> 0:20:42.439
<v Speaker 2>garbage and just burn it, you know, which would you

0:20:42.440 --> 0:20:44.760
<v Speaker 2>know is not good at all for the people living

0:20:44.800 --> 0:20:48.280
<v Speaker 2>nearby and certainly for the people who are burning that waste.

0:20:48.440 --> 0:20:51.080
<v Speaker 1>Now, No, I want to also want to indicate what's

0:20:51.119 --> 0:20:53.600
<v Speaker 1>the difference between a full bright and a full Bright

0:20:53.680 --> 0:20:55.400
<v Speaker 1>nehrew I never heard of that before.

0:20:55.680 --> 0:20:57.720
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, the full Bright Neahrews are just the full Brights

0:20:57.760 --> 0:20:58.760
<v Speaker 2>that happen in India.

0:20:58.920 --> 0:20:59.200
<v Speaker 1>India.

0:20:59.240 --> 0:21:02.119
<v Speaker 2>That's it. They get money from the American government and

0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:05.000
<v Speaker 2>the Indian government and so they have like co naming

0:21:05.359 --> 0:21:06.760
<v Speaker 2>of that grant over.

0:21:06.560 --> 0:21:08.560
<v Speaker 1>What period of time were you in and out of India?

0:21:09.359 --> 0:21:12.439
<v Speaker 2>I was there in twenty nineteen for six months. I

0:21:12.480 --> 0:21:15.520
<v Speaker 2>took my whole family and we lived there for six months.

0:21:16.640 --> 0:21:20.600
<v Speaker 1>What did your was your husband building shelving or cabinets

0:21:20.680 --> 0:21:22.400
<v Speaker 1>or were working over there? No?

0:21:22.400 --> 0:21:24.880
<v Speaker 2>No, no, he was not. I mean he checked out

0:21:24.960 --> 0:21:28.320
<v Speaker 2>some interesting buildings there, but no, he was actually doing

0:21:28.440 --> 0:21:31.040
<v Speaker 2>a graduate degree at that time. He was doing it

0:21:31.080 --> 0:21:32.800
<v Speaker 2>the Yale School of Forestry. But he was able to

0:21:32.800 --> 0:21:34.600
<v Speaker 2>do it remotely because he was at a point in

0:21:34.640 --> 0:21:37.240
<v Speaker 2>his research where he was working independently.

0:21:37.760 --> 0:21:40.280
<v Speaker 1>What did your children How old were they during the

0:21:40.320 --> 0:21:41.160
<v Speaker 1>Indian phase?

0:21:41.600 --> 0:21:46.000
<v Speaker 2>They were six, twelve, and fourteen. It was an incredible experience.

0:21:46.119 --> 0:21:47.920
<v Speaker 1>What was it like for them? I'm sure I want

0:21:47.960 --> 0:21:49.800
<v Speaker 1>to pivot to that. What was it like for them

0:21:49.840 --> 0:21:50.080
<v Speaker 1>for that?

0:21:50.640 --> 0:21:52.679
<v Speaker 2>You know, you tell your kids about the world, but

0:21:53.320 --> 0:21:56.960
<v Speaker 2>you can't explain things to them in the same way

0:21:57.320 --> 0:21:59.960
<v Speaker 2>of seeing it. So, I mean it really blew their mind.

0:22:00.080 --> 0:22:02.320
<v Speaker 2>They got to go to school there. We lived in

0:22:02.359 --> 0:22:05.560
<v Speaker 2>this big apartment tower. We were the only sort of

0:22:05.560 --> 0:22:09.760
<v Speaker 2>like non Indian family in this group of three towers.

0:22:09.760 --> 0:22:11.520
<v Speaker 2>And they were kind of like it was funny. They

0:22:11.520 --> 0:22:15.760
<v Speaker 2>were kind of like locally famous, you know, because we

0:22:15.840 --> 0:22:19.560
<v Speaker 2>stood out. You know, my husband's six', eight so he

0:22:19.600 --> 0:22:22.480
<v Speaker 2>stands out. Anywhere but like traffic would stop when we

0:22:22.520 --> 0:22:25.480
<v Speaker 2>were crossing streets, sometimes like people would hand me their

0:22:25.480 --> 0:22:27.760
<v Speaker 2>baby at a mall And i'm, like what is happening

0:22:27.760 --> 0:22:29.920
<v Speaker 2>here just to take a Picture that probably happens to

0:22:29.960 --> 0:22:31.480
<v Speaker 2>you all the, time but it doesn't happen to.

0:22:31.520 --> 0:22:35.320
<v Speaker 1>Me, WELL i, MEAN i don't. DON'T i don't. KNOW

0:22:35.359 --> 0:22:36.840
<v Speaker 1>i got to go To india and find that it's

0:22:36.840 --> 0:22:38.919
<v Speaker 1>going to. Happen what's going on for me In india

0:22:39.240 --> 0:22:41.679
<v Speaker 1>because my career doing In. India but let me ask you,

0:22:41.720 --> 0:22:45.160
<v Speaker 1>this which is THAT i don't understand why this country

0:22:45.320 --> 0:22:48.199
<v Speaker 1>is struggling still with this. Issue, yeah why we're not

0:22:48.320 --> 0:22:51.960
<v Speaker 1>investing so much money into you, know you want people

0:22:52.000 --> 0:22:54.920
<v Speaker 1>to you can use glass for THESE i mean, again

0:22:55.720 --> 0:22:58.200
<v Speaker 1>right when you have a little puff of air under your,

0:22:58.200 --> 0:23:00.679
<v Speaker 1>wings here in terms of your. Hope then they tell, you,

0:23:00.720 --> 0:23:04.000
<v Speaker 1>well you realize every cokecin is lined with, plastic, right

0:23:04.680 --> 0:23:07.840
<v Speaker 1>there's a plastic, lining and they show you the work

0:23:07.880 --> 0:23:09.800
<v Speaker 1>they do to take. Them and then also the plastic

0:23:09.920 --> 0:23:12.280
<v Speaker 1>bag comes out and they peel it out of the

0:23:12.320 --> 0:23:14.440
<v Speaker 1>cokecin and you're, like oh, god you know WHAT i,

0:23:14.520 --> 0:23:17.280
<v Speaker 1>mean what is it you think about this country that

0:23:17.520 --> 0:23:21.760
<v Speaker 1>you believe were so disengaged from our environmental?

0:23:22.119 --> 0:23:27.359
<v Speaker 2>RESPONSIBILITY m, Yeah SO i teach environmental, policy and you,

0:23:27.359 --> 0:23:31.200
<v Speaker 2>know you look at the history of polluters in our. Country.

0:23:32.080 --> 0:23:36.480
<v Speaker 2>RIGHT a good example is ge putting PCBs in The Hudson.

0:23:36.600 --> 0:23:40.360
<v Speaker 2>River so you look at that historically and you think

0:23:40.400 --> 0:23:43.120
<v Speaker 2>what were people, Thinking like did they not? Know were they?

0:23:43.600 --> 0:23:46.960
<v Speaker 2>Naive were they not paying? Attention AND i really feel

0:23:46.960 --> 0:23:50.080
<v Speaker 2>like plastic is that for us? Now? Right you, know

0:23:50.119 --> 0:23:52.800
<v Speaker 2>because what happened, eventually, right is that people cottoned onto

0:23:52.800 --> 0:23:56.119
<v Speaker 2>it and said this is, unacceptable and it became a

0:23:56.160 --> 0:23:59.320
<v Speaker 2>super fun, site, right and they're putting billions of dollars

0:23:59.320 --> 0:24:02.320
<v Speaker 2>into cleaning it. Up but of course it's like unringing a.

0:24:02.320 --> 0:24:05.720
<v Speaker 2>Bell you can't get all of that. Out and it's

0:24:05.800 --> 0:24:08.680
<v Speaker 2>true for any kind of. Pollutant it's so much more

0:24:08.760 --> 0:24:15.840
<v Speaker 2>efficient and. Inexpensive the GOLF bp just, forgotten just. Forgotten yeah,

0:24:15.960 --> 0:24:21.080
<v Speaker 2>Right and it's like preventing it makes so much sense, environmentally,

0:24:21.240 --> 0:24:27.679
<v Speaker 2>economically in every, way and yet our leaders don't are not.

0:24:27.800 --> 0:24:30.160
<v Speaker 2>INTERESTED i would say our business leaders and our political

0:24:30.240 --> 0:24:32.960
<v Speaker 2>leaders are both focused on the things that can get,

0:24:32.960 --> 0:24:35.760
<v Speaker 2>them you, know clout in the short term and not

0:24:35.840 --> 0:24:38.600
<v Speaker 2>the long. TERM i, MEAN i think a politician would

0:24:38.640 --> 0:24:40.479
<v Speaker 2>would never say, like, well we're going to do, this

0:24:40.560 --> 0:24:42.480
<v Speaker 2>it's going to cost a little bit more, money but

0:24:42.600 --> 0:24:45.119
<v Speaker 2>your grandchildren and your great grandchildren are going to have

0:24:45.160 --> 0:24:48.720
<v Speaker 2>clean air and soil and water because of. IT i

0:24:48.760 --> 0:24:52.120
<v Speaker 2>think that's just, sadly like it's really hard to get

0:24:52.119 --> 0:24:54.760
<v Speaker 2>people to. Care BUT i talk to people all the

0:24:54.760 --> 0:24:56.520
<v Speaker 2>time who know about this issue and care about this,

0:24:56.640 --> 0:24:59.199
<v Speaker 2>issue and they take a canvas back to the grocery,

0:24:59.200 --> 0:25:01.400
<v Speaker 2>store but everything in there is like wrapped in. Plastic

0:25:01.560 --> 0:25:04.120
<v Speaker 2>so it's like decisions were made long before you showed

0:25:04.200 --> 0:25:06.600
<v Speaker 2>up at the grocery store that you seem to have

0:25:06.680 --> 0:25:07.640
<v Speaker 2>no way of.

0:25:08.359 --> 0:25:13.800
<v Speaker 1>Changing, well people aren't willing to change their lifestyle in that.

0:25:13.880 --> 0:25:17.080
<v Speaker 1>Way they think the long term, effects let's, say of

0:25:17.119 --> 0:25:20.080
<v Speaker 1>plastic are something that takes decades to have any real

0:25:20.160 --> 0:25:23.080
<v Speaker 1>impact in your. Life but are people willing to trade

0:25:23.080 --> 0:25:27.280
<v Speaker 1>off slowing down and living their life more thoughtfully in

0:25:27.400 --> 0:25:31.959
<v Speaker 1>order to avoid plastic? Contamination in other, words your life

0:25:32.000 --> 0:25:34.920
<v Speaker 1>is one of the reasons that enables you to live

0:25:34.920 --> 0:25:37.800
<v Speaker 1>this kind of. Life is this? Product are people willing

0:25:37.880 --> 0:25:40.560
<v Speaker 1>to make a? Switch i'm terrified to. SAY i don't believe.

0:25:40.600 --> 0:25:43.439
<v Speaker 2>So. YEAH i think it depends right on some of.

0:25:43.480 --> 0:25:46.560
<v Speaker 2>It BUT i think they're taking advantage of the fact

0:25:46.600 --> 0:25:52.640
<v Speaker 2>that people are so overtired and being scheduled. Overscheduled. RIGHT

0:25:52.800 --> 0:25:57.600
<v Speaker 2>a lot of plastic packaging for food is certainly convenience, based,

0:25:58.240 --> 0:26:01.160
<v Speaker 2>Right SO i think it's hard to ask people who

0:26:01.200 --> 0:26:04.240
<v Speaker 2>are already overburdened by other things to give up all of.

0:26:04.240 --> 0:26:08.360
<v Speaker 2>That water bottles are different for, me, though because that's

0:26:07.960 --> 0:26:10.959
<v Speaker 2>so it's so easy to stop drinking bottled. Water there

0:26:10.960 --> 0:26:13.800
<v Speaker 2>are very few communities in the. Country there are, some of,

0:26:13.840 --> 0:26:15.920
<v Speaker 2>course right where the water is not safe to, drink

0:26:15.960 --> 0:26:20.880
<v Speaker 2>but for most of, us like our tap waters is. Great, yeah,

0:26:21.000 --> 0:26:21.800
<v Speaker 2>YEAH i, Drink.

0:26:22.359 --> 0:26:25.000
<v Speaker 1>YEAH i DRINK i drink filter tapwater old long.

0:26:24.920 --> 0:26:27.640
<v Speaker 2>YEAH i, mean you're just taking a public resource and

0:26:27.800 --> 0:26:30.040
<v Speaker 2>they've taken that public resource and they put it in a,

0:26:30.080 --> 0:26:31.680
<v Speaker 2>bottle and they're charging you for it at a rate

0:26:31.760 --> 0:26:34.480
<v Speaker 2>like higher than you know you would pay for gasoline

0:26:34.520 --> 0:26:37.439
<v Speaker 2>for your, car and it's in a container that's like

0:26:37.560 --> 0:26:38.320
<v Speaker 2>slowly breaking.

0:26:38.359 --> 0:26:47.520
<v Speaker 1>Down, researcher activist and Artist Cat. Owens if you're enjoying this,

0:26:47.640 --> 0:26:50.639
<v Speaker 1>conversation tell a friend and be sure to Follow here's

0:26:50.680 --> 0:26:54.920
<v Speaker 1>The thing on the, iHeartRadio, Apps spotify or wherever you

0:26:55.040 --> 0:26:59.240
<v Speaker 1>get your. Podcasts when we come, back Kat owens talks

0:26:59.280 --> 0:27:03.960
<v Speaker 1>about her art stick process Creating entangled And ingested and

0:27:04.040 --> 0:27:21.119
<v Speaker 1>how she works in a plastic based. Medium I'm Alec

0:27:21.200 --> 0:27:24.840
<v Speaker 1>baldwin and this Is here's the. Thing in twenty, twenty

0:27:24.960 --> 0:27:28.360
<v Speaker 1>Cat owens had plans to continue her research In, Uganda,

0:27:28.440 --> 0:27:32.520
<v Speaker 1>colombia And, india but when her travel plans were disrupted

0:27:32.760 --> 0:27:36.680
<v Speaker 1>by THE covid nineteen, pandemic she began exploring rivers closer to.

0:27:36.760 --> 0:27:40.639
<v Speaker 1>Home it was these local waterways that inspired the idea

0:27:40.680 --> 0:27:45.680
<v Speaker 1>for owens art Series entangled And. Ingested six years, Later

0:27:46.119 --> 0:27:49.840
<v Speaker 1>owens has created one hundred and nineteen portraits of animals

0:27:49.840 --> 0:27:53.760
<v Speaker 1>who have been harmed by plastic. Pollution some Of owen's

0:27:53.800 --> 0:27:58.000
<v Speaker 1>pieces are created on a massive, scale including the sixty

0:27:58.040 --> 0:28:01.760
<v Speaker 1>foot long sperm whale recently on display at The Bradley.

0:28:01.800 --> 0:28:05.760
<v Speaker 1>AIRPORT i wondered where else has once had the opportunity

0:28:06.000 --> 0:28:06.720
<v Speaker 1>to exhibit her.

0:28:06.800 --> 0:28:11.919
<v Speaker 2>WORK i have had shows with many of the pieces in,

0:28:11.960 --> 0:28:13.800
<v Speaker 2>them AND i have a few coming up next. Year

0:28:13.840 --> 0:28:16.080
<v Speaker 2>i'm going to be at The Hartford Public library in

0:28:16.160 --> 0:28:18.880
<v Speaker 2>the spring of twenty twenty six and at this place

0:28:18.920 --> 0:28:21.560
<v Speaker 2>In West Palm, Beach florida in the summer of twenty

0:28:21.600 --> 0:28:24.680
<v Speaker 2>twenty six Called Resource depot that tries to keep waste

0:28:24.680 --> 0:28:25.480
<v Speaker 2>out of the waste.

0:28:25.520 --> 0:28:29.960
<v Speaker 1>Stream tell me you have a somewhat longer relationship With Resource,

0:28:30.040 --> 0:28:33.679
<v Speaker 1>depot meaning what's the environmental what's the market for your

0:28:33.800 --> 0:28:37.840
<v Speaker 1>environmentally based art In Palm, Beach. FLORIDA i don't. KNOW

0:28:37.960 --> 0:28:41.160
<v Speaker 1>i mean you're about to find, out, RIGHT i.

0:28:41.080 --> 0:28:41.800
<v Speaker 2>Find out the hard.

0:28:41.800 --> 0:28:42.000
<v Speaker 3>Way.

0:28:42.440 --> 0:28:44.800
<v Speaker 2>Yeah they had a, show like a group, show AND

0:28:44.840 --> 0:28:47.440
<v Speaker 2>i applied for, it and then the director contacted me and,

0:28:47.440 --> 0:28:49.240
<v Speaker 2>said you know what you should. Do we should do

0:28:49.360 --> 0:28:51.440
<v Speaker 2>just a solo show with your work here because it's

0:28:51.440 --> 0:28:53.560
<v Speaker 2>such a good match for what we. Do SO i was,

0:28:53.600 --> 0:28:57.000
<v Speaker 2>like that sounds, great but my dream is to see

0:28:57.040 --> 0:29:01.040
<v Speaker 2>all forty six of these pieces together in one, room you, know,

0:29:01.160 --> 0:29:03.800
<v Speaker 2>LIKE i think that could really make an impact on

0:29:03.840 --> 0:29:06.640
<v Speaker 2>how people think about this. PROBLEM i take it around to,

0:29:06.680 --> 0:29:09.920
<v Speaker 2>schools and you, KNOW i have had exhibits in several.

0:29:09.960 --> 0:29:12.360
<v Speaker 2>Places the big, whale the sperm whale has been at

0:29:12.400 --> 0:29:14.240
<v Speaker 2>The Hartford airport for about a year and a.

0:29:14.280 --> 0:29:16.280
<v Speaker 1>HALF i think all of your, art if you keep

0:29:16.320 --> 0:29:18.840
<v Speaker 1>going in this direction with these large, pieces the only

0:29:18.880 --> 0:29:21.240
<v Speaker 1>place to display your art would be like The Javits.

0:29:21.320 --> 0:29:25.000
<v Speaker 2>Center, YEAH i, KNOW i need like A i don't,

0:29:25.000 --> 0:29:27.520
<v Speaker 2>know like an airplane hangar that doesn't have anything in,

0:29:27.560 --> 0:29:30.720
<v Speaker 2>it you, know something, huge Because i've got at least

0:29:30.800 --> 0:29:34.200
<v Speaker 2>two whales over three whales over fifty feet And i'm

0:29:34.240 --> 0:29:36.920
<v Speaker 2>working on right now the fin, whale which will ultimately

0:29:36.920 --> 0:29:40.000
<v Speaker 2>be eighty feet, Long SO i need more. Space.

0:29:40.200 --> 0:29:43.280
<v Speaker 1>Yeah is the size of the piece now become your?

0:29:43.280 --> 0:29:46.600
<v Speaker 1>Obsessions like what's the? Biggest let me get some dinosaurs in.

0:29:46.680 --> 0:29:50.360
<v Speaker 2>Here, well it's all based on the, Literature So i'm

0:29:50.400 --> 0:29:54.360
<v Speaker 2>working down this list from the scientific, literature a list

0:29:54.400 --> 0:29:57.040
<v Speaker 2>of all the different species that are affected by entanglement and.

0:29:57.280 --> 0:30:00.280
<v Speaker 2>Ingestion so the biggest whale on my list is the fin.

0:30:00.320 --> 0:30:03.280
<v Speaker 2>Whale it's not the biggest. Whale the blue whale is

0:30:03.320 --> 0:30:05.560
<v Speaker 2>the biggest whale out, there but the fin whale is

0:30:05.600 --> 0:30:06.720
<v Speaker 2>the biggest one on my. List.

0:30:07.200 --> 0:30:10.840
<v Speaker 1>Yeah now when you approach a piece whale mouse in.

0:30:10.880 --> 0:30:13.800
<v Speaker 1>Between when you're doing, that how does it? Work you

0:30:13.920 --> 0:30:14.680
<v Speaker 1>on a? Canvas?

0:30:15.240 --> 0:30:18.760
<v Speaker 2>Canvas cotton. CANVAS i buy it in six foot tall

0:30:18.840 --> 0:30:21.960
<v Speaker 2>rolls that are ninety feet, long and then cut it

0:30:22.000 --> 0:30:25.200
<v Speaker 2>down to the sizes THAT i. Need and, YEAH i

0:30:26.880 --> 0:30:29.920
<v Speaker 2>cut down the, CANVAS i sketch out the. Animal if it's,

0:30:29.960 --> 0:30:32.400
<v Speaker 2>SMALL i can just sort of eyeball it and do.

0:30:32.440 --> 0:30:34.120
<v Speaker 2>It if it's a big, WHALE i have to do

0:30:34.200 --> 0:30:39.040
<v Speaker 2>like a schematic Where i'm measuring. Computers, no just by.

0:30:39.080 --> 0:30:41.959
<v Speaker 1>Hand, yeah then what are you applying to the?

0:30:42.000 --> 0:30:46.719
<v Speaker 2>Canvas So i'm hand sewing all the. Scholastic, YEAH i

0:30:46.840 --> 0:30:50.160
<v Speaker 2>sew the plastic onto the. Canvas BUT i, mean in terms.

0:30:50.000 --> 0:30:53.960
<v Speaker 1>Of your identifying the material you, use it's all we cycle.

0:30:54.040 --> 0:30:56.200
<v Speaker 2>Material, Yeah it's not the STUFF i find WHEN i

0:30:56.240 --> 0:30:57.880
<v Speaker 2>go into a beach clean, up because that stuff is

0:30:57.960 --> 0:31:00.600
<v Speaker 2>really gross and not. Healthy wouldn't want to be in

0:31:00.640 --> 0:31:03.240
<v Speaker 2>a room with it or touch it very. Much but

0:31:03.520 --> 0:31:06.480
<v Speaker 2>WHEN i started this, project i'd been saving this kind

0:31:06.520 --> 0:31:09.040
<v Speaker 2>of film, plastic the film plastic that my family used

0:31:09.040 --> 0:31:12.160
<v Speaker 2>BECAUSE i was often it's marked with those chasing arrows

0:31:12.800 --> 0:31:16.160
<v Speaker 2>that say like please, recycle and you, think, okay this

0:31:16.240 --> 0:31:18.320
<v Speaker 2>must be. RECYCLABLE i just have to figure out how

0:31:18.320 --> 0:31:21.360
<v Speaker 2>to recycle. It so this is my. Field and it

0:31:21.400 --> 0:31:24.280
<v Speaker 2>took me two years to realize that actually you can't

0:31:24.320 --> 0:31:25.360
<v Speaker 2>recycle most of.

0:31:25.400 --> 0:31:28.760
<v Speaker 1>It, now your husband did he wake up at one

0:31:28.840 --> 0:31:31.600
<v Speaker 1>point and you woke up and he's like leaning over,

0:31:31.640 --> 0:31:33.800
<v Speaker 1>you staring at, you and you, say what's his?

0:31:33.920 --> 0:31:34.160
<v Speaker 3>Name?

0:31:34.760 --> 0:31:37.160
<v Speaker 1>Michael and you, say what is, It? Michael and he,

0:31:37.160 --> 0:31:40.000
<v Speaker 1>goes it's got to, stop, honey it's gotta. Stop stop

0:31:40.000 --> 0:31:41.440
<v Speaker 1>bringing all this plastic into our.

0:31:41.480 --> 0:31:44.840
<v Speaker 2>House he does get a little frustrated with. It sometimes he's,

0:31:44.960 --> 0:31:47.480
<v Speaker 2>Like i'm, Honey i'm just so glad you're not into

0:31:47.560 --> 0:31:52.200
<v Speaker 2>like metal, recycling because at least this can be like

0:31:52.320 --> 0:31:55.680
<v Speaker 2>folded up and rolled up and put. Away LIKE i

0:31:55.720 --> 0:31:57.600
<v Speaker 2>have a closet with a row of hangars on it

0:31:57.640 --> 0:32:01.360
<v Speaker 2>and it just has like penguins anduffins and you, know

0:32:01.600 --> 0:32:02.560
<v Speaker 2>dolphins hanging from.

0:32:02.640 --> 0:32:06.400
<v Speaker 1>Them, now when you do the, piece you are sketching

0:32:06.480 --> 0:32:09.960
<v Speaker 1>something in terms of. Color you're creating an image in

0:32:09.960 --> 0:32:13.520
<v Speaker 1>whatever fashion computer or on a. Paper and then and

0:32:13.600 --> 0:32:17.400
<v Speaker 1>then and you're bringing to the piece itself multi colored

0:32:17.560 --> 0:32:20.760
<v Speaker 1>pieces of plastic to create a to can or whatever.

0:32:20.840 --> 0:32:22.840
<v Speaker 1>Is you're going to make something with a lot of vibrant.

0:32:22.880 --> 0:32:26.040
<v Speaker 2>Color, Correct, yes absolutely, So, Yeah i'm JUST i have

0:32:26.160 --> 0:32:28.200
<v Speaker 2>it all divided out by. COLOR i have like a

0:32:28.240 --> 0:32:31.120
<v Speaker 2>bin of, yellow a bin of, orange of purple, blue

0:32:31.520 --> 0:32:35.360
<v Speaker 2>and THEN i just sort of make decisions As i'm sewing.

0:32:35.400 --> 0:32:38.840
<v Speaker 2>It and SOMETIMES i use things like patterns from different,

0:32:38.920 --> 0:32:42.080
<v Speaker 2>materials and SOMETIMES i use those to create depth or

0:32:42.320 --> 0:32:44.360
<v Speaker 2>to build like the turtle behind.

0:32:44.400 --> 0:32:47.280
<v Speaker 1>Me, yes it's. Gorgeous, oh thank, you.

0:32:47.360 --> 0:32:51.560
<v Speaker 2>Gorgeous that's a green sea. Turtle and so sometimes that's

0:32:51.600 --> 0:32:55.600
<v Speaker 2>like coffee bags that have like modeled coloration on, them,

0:32:55.720 --> 0:32:57.959
<v Speaker 2>right so THAT i can sort of try to build

0:32:58.040 --> 0:33:02.440
<v Speaker 2>like what a turtle shell actually looks like through pattern

0:33:02.520 --> 0:33:04.280
<v Speaker 2>and color and that kind of.

0:33:04.320 --> 0:33:09.040
<v Speaker 1>Thing, now you say you do exhibit in MUSEUMS i

0:33:09.120 --> 0:33:11.720
<v Speaker 1>have is anything hanging? Anywhere? NOW i?

0:33:11.800 --> 0:33:15.280
<v Speaker 2>Think, well so mostly local stuff happening right. Now The

0:33:15.480 --> 0:33:19.280
<v Speaker 2>Bradley airport In Central connecticut has the sperm whale In.

0:33:19.360 --> 0:33:22.880
<v Speaker 2>HARTFORD i have four or five pieces in The Connecticut Science.

0:33:22.920 --> 0:33:26.080
<v Speaker 2>CENTER i have a place at The parks And Rec

0:33:26.280 --> 0:33:30.200
<v Speaker 2>pool In. Middletown the indoor pool has a big orca

0:33:30.320 --> 0:33:32.760
<v Speaker 2>THAT i made with elementary school kids from my. TOWN

0:33:33.320 --> 0:33:35.680
<v Speaker 2>i went around to all the elementary schools and did.

0:33:35.720 --> 0:33:40.240
<v Speaker 2>That and next Month i'm going to be In iceland

0:33:40.360 --> 0:33:43.560
<v Speaker 2>for the month on an artist. Residency if anyone's in

0:33:43.760 --> 0:33:48.360
<v Speaker 2>a Kirie, iceland they might find me there sewing. PUFFINS

0:33:48.400 --> 0:33:50.280
<v Speaker 2>i guess probably in a harp. Seal what do you

0:33:50.320 --> 0:33:53.560
<v Speaker 2>make in a harp? Seal but, Yeah i'm always trying

0:33:53.600 --> 0:33:57.200
<v Speaker 2>to find more places to exhibit my work because the

0:33:57.240 --> 0:33:59.360
<v Speaker 2>whole point of it IS i want. THIS i want

0:33:59.360 --> 0:34:02.760
<v Speaker 2>people to make between this problem and their own, lives

0:34:02.840 --> 0:34:06.360
<v Speaker 2>and then ideally get them to take political action about,

0:34:06.360 --> 0:34:10.000
<v Speaker 2>it BECAUSE i really do think we can still influence

0:34:10.360 --> 0:34:12.719
<v Speaker 2>our political systems and we need to.

0:34:12.760 --> 0:34:16.839
<v Speaker 1>Try, now let's talk about your understanding through your other,

0:34:17.000 --> 0:34:19.960
<v Speaker 1>work all of your credentials and so. FORTH i, mean

0:34:20.520 --> 0:34:24.720
<v Speaker 1>what's happening in your, mind what's the biggest problem pollution

0:34:24.800 --> 0:34:26.720
<v Speaker 1>wise in this? Country where's it coming?

0:34:26.760 --> 0:34:31.000
<v Speaker 2>From, OH i mean it's coming from a million, communities,

0:34:31.080 --> 0:34:34.560
<v Speaker 2>RIGHT i, mean we do have relatively good waste, management

0:34:34.600 --> 0:34:38.200
<v Speaker 2>and yet you, know go outside any parking lot you've

0:34:38.239 --> 0:34:41.040
<v Speaker 2>ever been, in and there's waste. Everywhere AND i go

0:34:41.080 --> 0:34:43.440
<v Speaker 2>down WHEN i, travel you, know you see the, highway

0:34:43.520 --> 0:34:46.480
<v Speaker 2>there's all kinds of litter all along the, streets and

0:34:46.520 --> 0:34:50.200
<v Speaker 2>so a lot of, it whether intentionally or, unintentionally it

0:34:50.239 --> 0:34:52.799
<v Speaker 2>gets out of the waste stream and then goes into.

0:34:52.880 --> 0:34:56.360
<v Speaker 2>RIVERS i read a statistic the other day that said

0:34:56.840 --> 0:34:59.719
<v Speaker 2>ten thousand tons of plastic in or The Great lakes every?

0:34:59.840 --> 0:35:00.960
<v Speaker 2>Year just.

0:35:01.080 --> 0:35:04.560
<v Speaker 1>Crazy did any of the work you've worked on address

0:35:04.960 --> 0:35:08.759
<v Speaker 1>specific outcomes of plastic? Pollution have you gotten into that at?

0:35:08.800 --> 0:35:11.360
<v Speaker 2>ALL i don't study sort of like the impact on.

0:35:11.560 --> 0:35:15.520
<v Speaker 2>HEALTH i don't study microplastics or. NANOPLASTICS i know people who,

0:35:15.560 --> 0:35:18.640
<v Speaker 2>do but we really don't know what the health impacts

0:35:18.680 --> 0:35:23.399
<v Speaker 2>are going to be yet of accumulated contact with plastics over.

0:35:23.520 --> 0:35:28.040
<v Speaker 2>Decades but you, know part of the. Issue so global

0:35:28.080 --> 0:35:32.680
<v Speaker 2>markets all together produce over four hundred million tons of

0:35:32.719 --> 0:35:37.839
<v Speaker 2>plastic every, year and their stated goal is to increase that, number.

0:35:37.680 --> 0:35:40.000
<v Speaker 1>Right, right the petroleum, Industry.

0:35:39.960 --> 0:35:44.080
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah and they absolutely want to increase that. Production

0:35:44.200 --> 0:35:47.200
<v Speaker 2>so at this point in, time we're not even talking

0:35:47.239 --> 0:35:50.839
<v Speaker 2>about what are the important uses of this? Material, Right,

0:35:51.000 --> 0:35:54.680
<v Speaker 2>like certainly there are important uses of this. Material it

0:35:55.280 --> 0:35:57.920
<v Speaker 2>is all around. Us it's there's a reason it's so.

0:35:58.200 --> 0:36:02.320
<v Speaker 2>Popular it's, inexpensive and it's well because we're only counting

0:36:02.560 --> 0:36:04.640
<v Speaker 2>like how much it, costs not how much it costs

0:36:04.680 --> 0:36:07.120
<v Speaker 2>for its full. Life but you, know we're not even

0:36:07.160 --> 0:36:09.960
<v Speaker 2>having a conversation, about like what's the most important use

0:36:10.000 --> 0:36:12.480
<v Speaker 2>of this. MATERIAL i was with a friend at the hospital.

0:36:12.520 --> 0:36:16.120
<v Speaker 2>Recently you, know hospitals use lots of single use. Plastics that's, great,

0:36:16.400 --> 0:36:19.080
<v Speaker 2>Right but then they brought the patient water and it

0:36:19.120 --> 0:36:20.719
<v Speaker 2>was in a styrofoam, cup AND i was, like are

0:36:20.800 --> 0:36:21.280
<v Speaker 2>you kidding?

0:36:21.280 --> 0:36:24.000
<v Speaker 1>Me like WHEN i see people back packages with, styrofoam

0:36:24.360 --> 0:36:28.000
<v Speaker 1>the peanuts that they call them Styro i'm, Like i'm

0:36:28.000 --> 0:36:30.600
<v Speaker 1>never going to speak to you again for the rest

0:36:30.600 --> 0:36:32.680
<v Speaker 1>of my life now that you sent my birthday present

0:36:33.120 --> 0:36:33.960
<v Speaker 1>in the styrofoam.

0:36:33.960 --> 0:36:37.160
<v Speaker 2>Peanuts but the steam come out of my. Ears oh my.

0:36:37.200 --> 0:36:40.680
<v Speaker 1>God but the plastic, industry like the tobacco, industry the same.

0:36:40.719 --> 0:36:43.000
<v Speaker 1>Thing they know what's going, on they know what's. Happening

0:36:43.239 --> 0:36:45.279
<v Speaker 1>they know what the deleterious effects of all of us.

0:36:45.280 --> 0:36:47.560
<v Speaker 2>ARE i, mean in their moo is kind of like

0:36:47.640 --> 0:36:51.719
<v Speaker 2>to throw a little money towards some vague recycling programs

0:36:52.120 --> 0:36:56.600
<v Speaker 2>and then continued to produce and ninety nine percent of

0:36:56.760 --> 0:36:59.759
<v Speaker 2>plastic is still made with virgin fossil fuels because that's

0:36:59.760 --> 0:37:02.200
<v Speaker 2>the deepest and the easiest way to do. It and

0:37:02.280 --> 0:37:04.919
<v Speaker 2>so they're actually things that they could do to have

0:37:05.239 --> 0:37:08.600
<v Speaker 2>to lessen the, impact BUT i don't see a lot

0:37:08.600 --> 0:37:11.000
<v Speaker 2>of companies that are really trying to do. That there are,

0:37:11.040 --> 0:37:14.360
<v Speaker 2>some like food companies who seem to be making choices

0:37:14.560 --> 0:37:18.200
<v Speaker 2>and packaging to get away from, plastic which is exciting to,

0:37:18.239 --> 0:37:20.759
<v Speaker 2>see but it's a tiny. Amount and things that used

0:37:20.800 --> 0:37:23.719
<v Speaker 2>to be you, KNOW i encounter packaging all the time

0:37:23.760 --> 0:37:28.319
<v Speaker 2>from cat, litter dog, food bird. Seed all of that

0:37:28.440 --> 0:37:30.319
<v Speaker 2>is like in plastic, now and it wasn't that long

0:37:30.320 --> 0:37:33.560
<v Speaker 2>ago when all of that came, in like multi layered, paper,

0:37:34.360 --> 0:37:37.440
<v Speaker 2>right and and for most people in the, world like

0:37:37.520 --> 0:37:40.319
<v Speaker 2>that's a fine way to package that, good, right you,

0:37:40.320 --> 0:37:43.120
<v Speaker 2>know we're, yes you might have like mice get into your,

0:37:43.160 --> 0:37:46.319
<v Speaker 2>garage but for most of us it's it's it's an

0:37:46.320 --> 0:37:49.879
<v Speaker 2>okay packaging. Type but it has become the, standard right

0:37:49.920 --> 0:37:53.600
<v Speaker 2>where our expectations if something's good or if it you,

0:37:53.640 --> 0:37:55.120
<v Speaker 2>know we want it to look a certain. Way it's

0:37:55.160 --> 0:37:56.319
<v Speaker 2>going to come wrapped in.

0:37:56.719 --> 0:37:59.520
<v Speaker 1>PLASTIC i want to mention one more, thing which is

0:37:59.520 --> 0:38:03.319
<v Speaker 1>just for people to, understand you have these pictures and

0:38:03.680 --> 0:38:07.080
<v Speaker 1>this beautiful artwork you do with these materials and this

0:38:07.360 --> 0:38:09.480
<v Speaker 1>kind of you, know obviously without it goes without saying

0:38:09.560 --> 0:38:13.600
<v Speaker 1>unorthodox methodology with what you're, Doing but you ever get

0:38:13.640 --> 0:38:15.040
<v Speaker 1>sick of, It you ever sit there and GO i

0:38:15.040 --> 0:38:17.520
<v Speaker 1>want to get back into policy and try to fix.

0:38:17.560 --> 0:38:20.960
<v Speaker 2>This, WELL i mean two things. THERE i don't get

0:38:20.960 --> 0:38:24.160
<v Speaker 2>sick of. It, like it's very calming and meditative practice

0:38:24.160 --> 0:38:27.759
<v Speaker 2>for me to, sew SO i really enjoy that. Process

0:38:28.160 --> 0:38:31.359
<v Speaker 2>but at the same time a huge Materials, yeah there's

0:38:31.400 --> 0:38:34.000
<v Speaker 2>a lot of, sewing BUT i hate the. Materials it's very.

0:38:34.040 --> 0:38:36.800
<v Speaker 2>Weird as an, artist usually you, know you're excited about

0:38:36.800 --> 0:38:40.400
<v Speaker 2>the oil paints and the materials you're, using the. Watercolors

0:38:40.600 --> 0:38:43.080
<v Speaker 2>it's very weird to be spending so much time with

0:38:43.120 --> 0:38:46.080
<v Speaker 2>something that you really. Hate BUT i, THINK i, mean

0:38:46.120 --> 0:38:47.640
<v Speaker 2>part of the REASON i took on this project is

0:38:47.719 --> 0:38:50.800
<v Speaker 2>BECAUSE i was tired of just communicating with other scientists

0:38:50.840 --> 0:38:54.360
<v Speaker 2>about this, issue BECAUSE i think it's no fun to

0:38:54.400 --> 0:38:55.960
<v Speaker 2>talk about it with a bunch of people who already

0:38:56.000 --> 0:38:58.760
<v Speaker 2>know everything about, it, Right LIKE i want to connect

0:38:58.760 --> 0:39:01.600
<v Speaker 2>with people and then get them to contact their leaders

0:39:01.600 --> 0:39:02.880
<v Speaker 2>and demand something.

0:39:03.000 --> 0:39:05.520
<v Speaker 1>BETTER i just want to, say first of, all thank

0:39:05.560 --> 0:39:08.120
<v Speaker 1>you for doing this with. ME i feel like this

0:39:08.440 --> 0:39:11.040
<v Speaker 1>is the one we've got to. Solve we've got to, solve,

0:39:11.120 --> 0:39:13.640
<v Speaker 1>yes because it's really REALLY i think doing a lot

0:39:13.680 --> 0:39:18.040
<v Speaker 1>of more importantly unseen, things unknown. Things who knows what's

0:39:18.080 --> 0:39:19.719
<v Speaker 1>going to be the plastic the bill we're going to

0:39:19.760 --> 0:39:22.920
<v Speaker 1>get handed twenty five years from. Now so thank you so, much.

0:39:23.080 --> 0:39:24.840
<v Speaker 2>Thank you for having. ME i really appreciate.

0:39:24.880 --> 0:39:33.120
<v Speaker 1>It my thanks to Kat. Owens this episode was recorded

0:39:33.360 --> 0:39:36.920
<v Speaker 1>AT Cdm studios In New York. City we're produced By Kathleen,

0:39:37.000 --> 0:39:41.560
<v Speaker 1>Russo Zach, MacNeice And victoria De. Martin our engineer Is Frank.

0:39:41.600 --> 0:39:45.720
<v Speaker 1>Imperial our social media manager Is Danielle. Gingrich I'm Alec.

0:39:45.760 --> 0:39:48.200
<v Speaker 1>Baldwin here's the thing that is brought to you By iHeart.

0:39:48.840 --> 0:40:02.680
<v Speaker 1>Radio name