Lorsqu’il a été introduit pour la première fois sur le marché mondial au milieu du XXe siècle, le plastique était considéré comme un matériel utopique, prometteur d’un avenir meilleur. Des décennies plus tard, la vérité sur les programmes de recyclage, la menace « invisible » des microplastiques présents dans les aliments que nous consommons et les images de plages couvertes de déchets de plastique font de plus en plus partie de notre discussion collective du matériel. Ce projet pose la question suivante : Comment, le cas échéant, les représentations visuelles des déchets de plastiques contribuent-elles à façonner le sujet environnemental?
// When first introduced on the global market at the mid 20th century, plastic was understood as a utopian material, promising better futures. Decades later, the truth about failed recycled programs, the threats of microplastics found in the food that we consume, and images of previously pristine beaches covered in plastic waste are increasingly part of our collective discussion about plastics. This project fundamentally asks: How, if at all, do visual representations of plastic waste contribute to shaping the environmental subject? It takes as an object of study an iconic series of photographs (Midway: Message from the Gyre) and film (Albatross) by American artist and environmental activist Chris Jordan. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s theory of governmentality, a qualitative content analysis of online commentary of the imagery is conducted. The framing of imagery and the messages conveyed by the artist run the risk of “greening” action. Broader systemic critique that addresses the plastic crisis as one rooted in production is necessary to break from a suggested pattern of response of blame, preaching and despair.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/43586 |
| Date | 13 May 2022 |
| Creators | Suzor-Morin, Marie |
| Contributors | Scobie, Willow |
| Publisher | Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
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