Washed Up: A CBT Original Installation
“Washed Up” is an original exhibit created by CBT President and Senior Principal David Nagahiro in collaboration with CBT Fabrication Studio Manager Carla Fowler.
On display at CBT’s Constitution Wharf office, in between beautiful harbor views, the installation transforms three weeks’ worth of discarded plastic into a series of suspended sculptures in the shape of various sea creatures. The sculptures are accompanied by a collection of large placards which display data on recycling and projected environmental conditions in a Q&A format, challenging viewers to estimate the environmental damage of plastic waste and revealing surprising answers.
Inspired by research related to the harmful impacts of plastic on our environment – particularly our oceans – David collected plastic waste from his family of four over a three week-period. Struck by the remarkably large volume of waste produced from just four individuals in a short time, David and Carla collaborated to recycle and transform the collected plastic into a striking visual that would bring awareness to the harmful effects of plastic waste. The exhibit sheds light on serious environmental concerns and serves as an engaging educational resource with real, quantifiable evidence of our immense impact as individuals and as a design industry.
Here are just a few important data points the exhibit addresses:
- Less than 10% of the world’s plastic is recycled.
- Less than 1% of plastic bags are recycled.
- By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean.
- A single plastic bottle takes approximately 500 years to decompose.
- 98% of plastics are made from fossil fuels.
We hope that this exhibit both educates and inspires viewers to reflect and consider our environment as well as the opportunities to make an impact and contribute to the solution.
Photos by Monica Carroll and video by Laura Soria, both of CBT.
