Embedded Files
alexandra kelling
airing our dirty dishes: public washing machines for recyclable goods
For my speculative work I would want to install small dishwashers in public spaces to wash plastic recyclables before heading to the recycling facility. My goal is to bring awareness to the low quality of current recycle centers and put an emphasis on generating a more sustainable future. Current facilities are not recycling as much as they can be and it is devastating our natural world; “The vast majority—79 percent—is accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter.” (Parker). Ideally, I would like for these structures to be clear so that the audience, people on the street, can see what is happening in the internal system of the machine akin to wishing for transparency with governmental regulations.
These structures would be on corners, by or in public buildings and parks, and on any private property willing to cooperate with the project guidelines. Two times a day someone will come by to empty the dishwasher and take all of the waste to a recycling facility. Ideally these machines would be free but I understand that this is a very intensive project so ultimately it will cost 25-75 cents for an individual to open the machine. These are meant to be as accessible as possible so it will accept multiple forms of payment: cash, card, mobile, even Venmo or other apps! Ideally these machines would end up being paid for by the very corporations that made them needed and we will use the public dishwashers until they become obsolete.
While I am aware that “Just a hundred companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions” (Riley), I do believe it is important for consumers to know who benefits from our continual waste and that recycling and reducing our consumption is vital in our state of climate emergency.
Parker, L. (2021, May 3). A whopping 91% of plastic isn't recycled. Science. Retrieved December 13, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/plastic-produced-recycling-waste-ocean-trash-debris-environment
Riley, T. (2017, July 10). Just 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions, study says. The Guardian. Retrieved December 13, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/jul/10/100-fossil-fuel-companies-investors-responsible-71-global-emissions-cdp-study-climate-change
Image: Inside of a Chicago bank sits a hot pink cube against the wall. There is a dotted line connected to a circle that holds a drawing of a clear dishwasher.
Image: Outside of a Chicago establishment sits a hot pink cube with the drawing of the dishwasher superimposed on it.
Image: The cube sits at a bus stop next to trash cans.
Artist Statement
They say to write what you know, but for me I aim to paint what I experience. It is up for debate whether I choose to make uniquely queer, feminine art or if all of my art is queer and feminine. People like me are not represented in mainstream art and I always try to lean into these identities to connect with others and our beautiful community.
Oil painting is my favorite medium to work with. I love its forgiving nature; layers of paint can hide any mistake and still carry so much vibrancy. In my work I use vibrant color as a way to show the vibrancy of my community or the emotional quality of the piece. I have always been enamored with how someone can capture a shadow or a glow with just one stroke of paint, like Artemisia Gentileschi’s intense darks or Renoir’s sparkling highlights. For instance, in my work inside lucy’s world I use oil paint to explore queer femme home life and the objects I am drawn to as they pertain to my identity. Through colors I create a dreamy and mysterious environment that invites viewers to think about the relationships between the objects and our identities. I often mimic this process in other mediums I work with be it collage, sculpture, or textiles.
In the future I look forward to exploring the power of color and queer identities while doing portraits of elders in my community. It is important for me to capture their enigmatic presences not only in my heart but also in our community, to do this I will use oil paints and their full range of color capabilities.
Artist Bio
alexandra kelling (they/she) is a Kansas City born multi-practice artist focusing on communicating their history and love of color into artwork. As a BFA student at the Art Institute of Chicago she is working on exploring her creative process through any mediums necessary: often painting and drawing, collage, and textile. Words like intimacy, queerness, femininity, irony, camp often circulate around the works thematic. alexandra found these focuses at home in the colorful, enigmatic family environment that continues to inspire their worldview. Their work is an organic free-flowing expression of their life narrative and the politics that ebb around them.
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