October 9 -11, 2011 our reef was on view for 2,000 participants at Aashe, an international sustainability in higher education conference, to check out. This was the first year that the conference included art and our project was one of only two pieces included. People were very curious and interested in the materials, ideas, and participants. I showed visitors how to crochet plastic bags and quite a few gave it a try. One insightful person remarked on how the piece 'draws one in as a kind of Dr. Suessical landscape, then once one's attention is captured the dark reality of the eco-underpinnings hit even harder.......'

I mentioned to a number of people that I would like to continue the project with new managers in different parts of the world, allowing the reef to accumulate each time it is on view. Anybody interested?

Check out the latest review in Artes Magazine, October 14, 2011. Scroll down to see image and discussion of Something in the Water.

Something in the Water in Too Shallow for Diving: The 21st Century is Treading Water opened May 14th,

2011 at the American Jewish Museum of Pittsburgh.

The opening was packed with enthusiastic and curious people.

Museum staff reported daily inquiries and fascination with this piece from visitors throughout its two-month run.

Everyone wanted to give it a squeeze!

The Plastiki

Watch this tongue in cheek video (click on "latest video" at the bottom of the page)...about the aspirations of plastic bag! Really a hoot while dead serious. Then click around and find out more about this remarkable four-year voyage in the Pacific in a raft made of plastic bottles.

LOS GATOS, CA checks in!

Jennifer Hansen and friends had a SOMETHING IN THE WATER party March 5 in the Santa Cruz mountains to make plastic bags breast shapes for our project. Looks like FUN!

Justine Leong and Kate Karniouchina focus...

Kate tries it on for size

.......mmmm, snacks

Jennifer shows Susan LInares the ropes

Prudence Mapstone in her Brisbane,

Australia garden with her finely

crocheted plastic breast!

Fantastic Video Project

Malinna sent this great link!

"Watch singer-songwriter Ben Lear describe his totally inspiring and lyrical new video project, "Lillian". This stop-action love opera will heart wrenchingly lead you into the reality of the plastic garbage patches that are choking our oceans.

Stop the garbage patch. Get on board to help the project. Find out more about the Plastic Pollution Coalition.

"What fun" (seriously)

Marguerite Kenner's(Los Angeles) first breast gets going!

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

Eco-Art project: Something in the Water

Crochet with plastic bags?! Learn how and participate in an eco-art project using plastic bags to crochet breast shapes that will be joined together in a reef shape. Highlighting this dark side of our dependency on plastic bags, concerned people are crocheting breast shapes from plastic bags. The first reef crocheted by women around the world, exhibited at an art exhibition at the American Jewish Museum in Pittsburgh in May of 201, drew so much intrigue it seemed the project had untapped potential!

In 2012, a reef managed by Daisy Maciel in Porto Allegre, Brazil was exhibited at a city building for a special event. While on a residency in rural Turkey, many women got involved. I discovered the project is also an excellent vehicle for cross cultural common ground.  Still seeking a manager for Turkey. In May I am off to Israel/Palestine where I hope to meet with concerned women who want to start a reef there. The ultimate vision is that all reefs will come together to join in a giant exhibition.

If you would like to participate, Search Project Guidelines and Description on blog for more details. Contact Wendy Osher: wendy.osher@verizon.net

MAMMA MIA

Here is my biggest shape so far! Its about 32" in diameter......

GOOD NEWS

Plastic bags banned in:
Santa Monica, CA
San Francisco, CA

Connie Lee

See Connie Lee's (Colorado) fabulous new crocheted breast shape on her blog!

just think about it

Be sure to click and zoom in on Chris Jordan's terrifying image of the number of plastic bags used in the US alone every 5 seconds. While you are there, check out more of this remarkable "Running the Numbers" work and just try to imagine what we are doing to the planet with every choice we make.

Important articles

Researchers explore growing garbage patches in oceans

Pacific Garbage patch the size of Texas!

New garbage patch discovered in Indian Ocean

New garbage patch discovered Atlantic



Plastic bags wreak havoc in India

Africa clogged by plastic bags

Feathering their nests with plastics to get ahead

excellent video on plastic in our water

January get together!

Kelli

Lin

Donna

Sarah

Ruth

Wendy

Judy

Sarah A.

crocheting breast photos

Add your photos to our gallery of plastic bag breasts in the making!

Summertime SIW

gathering in Pittsburgh

Something in the Water/Project Description

Plastic, the most prevalent component of ocean debris, threatens life on earth because it persists so long in the water. Over time, it breaks down into tinier and tinier bits that are eaten by the smallest marine life at the base of our food web. PCBs, DDT and other toxic chemicals don’t dissolve in water and the plastic actually absorbs them like a sponge. Fish that eat plankton feed mistakenly on the tiny particles that leach into the tissue of the fish. As the toxins work their way up the food change, scientists believe that some commonly found in our bloodstreams and even breast milk may have originated from this source.

See link for 11.10.09 NYT article: Afloat in the Ocean, Expanding Islands of Trash

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/science/10patch.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=afloat+in+the+ocean&st=nyt

Something in the Water is a sculptural project using plastic bags to crochet large breast-like shapes. As part of Too Shallow for Diving, I will collaborate with artists, people who do not self-identify as artists but like to crochet, and environmental groups to engage in the dual process of crocheting a reef of these shapes and raising awareness about the hazards this modern convenience has wrought.

When all the shapes are completed I will join them together into a “reef” which is intended to float at about chest height. It will hang from above (and perhaps stretch from the walls) and should be accessible for visitors to peer into and to walk around. My intent here is for the visitor to feel the implication/responsibility of seeing from the interior perspective of the breast shape as well as below and from the periphery. The scale of the finished work will be determined to some degree by the number of participants in addition to myself who are willing, able, and have time to commit to this time consuming process!

Wendy Osher/wendy.osher@verizon.net

Something in the Water: Guidelines

Something in the Water/Guidelines for Collaborators

First of all, I am thrilled that you are interested in participating in this eco-art project. This is my first stab at guidelines for it. So, if you have questions and or suggestions about how to make it clearer, please let me know!!!

GENERAL DESCRIPTION;

Collaborators will be creating breast-like shapes that I will join together to form an organic looking reef that will float at chest level. The “yarn” is formed by folding USED plastic bags lengthwise, cutting off the handles and bottom before snipping inch-wide loops. Slip the loops together to form the yarn.

Here is a link to a You tube video showing how to crochet with plastic bags. The directions for how to make a can cover will work for the first part of the nipple:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i1W9Mi7jPM

YARN: Fold the plastic bags the long way, cut off the bottom and any handles. Snip the bag at one inch intervals producing loops one inch wide. Slip the loops together to form a long strand and roll into a ball.

SIZE: On the upper end, some will measure as much as a yard in diameter. On the low end, some of the shapes may be only a foot across at the top. Anything between is your choice. Use any size crochet hook that you like to work with….

COLOR: The only parameter I am asking you to stick to is that the nipple shape’s color should clearly contrast the breast shape’s color. Either or both parts can mix shades, but not so much as to obscure the demarcation between nipple and breast. (I crocheted my first shape out of plastic newspaper protectors. Places that recycle plastic bags and friends are also a good source. Please do not use new plastic bags!)

FORMS: The shape is formed by first crocheting a flat circle in whatever size you think will be appropriate for the scale of the breast shape you will make. This is done by increasing every other stitch as you crochet around the circle. Then stop increasing and the sides of the shape will grow straight up. When that is long enough, begin to increase to develop the wider part of the shape. When the nipple shape seems to fit your idea of scale, change colors and continue increasing as you form the rest of the shape.

WORKING TOGETHER: If you would like to participate, but don’t have the time to complete a shape yourself, one person can start it and another can complete it! Or more than two people can work together to finish a larger shape.

RECOGNITION: All collaborators will be recognized at the exhibition at the American Jewish Museum in Pittsburgh and any future exhibitions of “our reef” in other locations.

TIMELINE: The exhibition is scheduled to open in May. Since I will be joining the shapes into the larger sculpture, I will need some time. Please send all SIW shapes to me by April 1, 2011. If you live in Pittsburgh, I will be happy to pick them up!

BOTTOMLINE: Make it so you like it!

Please let me know if you are working on a piece to contribute. I need to get a sense of what we are going to end up with! Thanks so so much! Send me your questions, insights, and tips for other collaborators!

wendy.osher@verizon.net