Message in a Bottle
Artist
Kerby Rosanes (Filipino, b. 1991)
Date
2020Medium
Gicleé printDimensions
Sheet/image : 22 x 16 in. (55.88 x 40.64 cm)Credit Line
Hope College CollectionObject Number
2020.99
Label
Plastic is one of the most pernicious products of the Anthropocene era. Many types of plastic have strong molecular structures that do not easily break down and can persist in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years. Recent surveys have revealed that plastic waste has reached the world’s highest mountain ranges and deepest ocean trenches. Even more alarming, very small particles of plastic called microplastics are now found in plant and animal species up and down the food chain, including humans. Scientists are still unsure what effects these microplastics may have on human health, but they are unlikely to be beneficial. This image by Filipino artist Kerby Rosanes warns us about the particular dangers of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans and waterways, which will also inevitably affect life on land.
