Article of the Week - number sixteen

Mhari Smith's piece was bought from her 2015 degree show at Shetland College. The piece is part of a larger work exploring the flotsam and jetsam that ends up on Shetland's shores. 

The work we have is, itself, in two parts. The first is a "nest" made of a wire armature covered with interwoven cotton threads, a detail of which is pictured. The second part is a box with labelled tags, each relating to the nest. The entire work starts off with natural materials in both the box and the nest. Progressively, as Mhari discovered more pollution on the beaches, these were incorporated until the final two artefacts consist entirely of plastic. 

Although we are all in entirely different circumstances now, plastic pollution is still a huge issue. Mhari's piece helps remind us of our responsibilities to the planet.