ARTIST STATEMENT
My work questions the infiltration of human-made materials and its disruption of ecosystems. Using processes like bioplastic production and printmaking, I repurpose discarded materials, such as plastics and wood remnants and search to uncover their hidden potential for transformation.
Plastic pollution, particularly from single-use items, exemplifies the tension between utility and harm. Plastic food containers, for example, are created for quick, single-use purposes before being discarded. Yet, upon closer inspection, these items often reveal intricately designed details, both utilitarian and aesthetic. I’m drawn to the shapes, lines, and structures within these designs, especially as they mimic or echo forms found in nature. This interplay inspires my work, where I resurrect these materials as symbols of both fragility and objects of beauty.
Bioplastics, with their instability and biodegradability, mirror the vulnerabilities of nature, serving as a metaphor for the precarious balance of ecosystems under stress. Similarly, while printmaking allows me to layer textures and patterns, the processes of printmaking mirrors human care of the earth. It imbues mystery…how/will it turn out?… all the while allowing for exploring the mash up of industrial and organic forms and finding the potential harmony between them. My work seeks to be a reflection of the global plastic crisis and the relentless cycle of consumption. The plastic problem in our world is a big one. My work explores the space of the overwhelming demand for these materials and the vast discarding of these materials.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Ann Marie Greenberg is an artist and educator based in the neighborhood of Mayfair, Chicago, IL. Using plastics as a base and as an inspiration, her work explores extending found materials life as art, creating beauty and joy with it. Most recently, she is investigating bioplastic and light to create stained plastic collages.
Earlier this year, she presented 2 solo shows: Light Wrapping Itself at a+c Gallery in Skokie, Il and Pour Forth at The Harry Krug Gallery in Pittsburg Ks. She lives with her family and dogs.
© Ann Marie Greenberg