2022
Ceramic
 
For this project, we were asked to make something valuable from something that is typically thrown away. I had a hard time picking an idea, but finally landed on one I liked during my drive home. NPR ran a story about a town that had not received rain in over 100 years. They mentioned how many of the cows died from dehydration, making beef a precious commodity. This made me think of how much food we throw away and how wasteful our food practices are.
 
To add another level to the project, I am including a reference to ageism and how people are often metaphorically “thrown away” when they are no longer considered to have anything valuable to contribute to society.
 
As a 45-year-old college student who also volunteers at the local community theatre, I constantly find myself surrounded by people who are much younger than me. I don’t feel old, but I recognize the distance between us.
 
My sculptures consist of five ceramic steaks in grocery store packaging displayed next to each other. To illustrate my experience, each steak in the first series has an “expired” label on it and is covered in designs popularized in the 1980s and
1990s.