What’s really going on with ocean plastic? Artist Jeremy McKane explains:
How does someone go from being an underwater fashion photographer to an ocean plastic pollution activist? I asked Jeremy McKane to tell us all about how he shifted his work to participate in creative disruption for positive change.
LA: What motivated you to start dedicating your creative practice to the ocean?
JM: Considering that I spend most of my creative time underwater, it’s a natural evolution to protect what many consider so beautiful. It’s beautiful until you find clusters of plastic accumulation. In many cultures there is a belief that we do not own this planet, but rather we are to be faithful stewards. In aboriginal cultures this is the case and in many Polynesian cultures as well. For centuries this has been the belief but, somewhere along the line, our thinking has changed. It is this change of thought that I am fighting.
For centuries, artists have been magicians at communication. I realized that I had the power to use my voice as an artist to try and change our thinking in a way that benefits all on spaceship earth.
LA: What is the concept behind your brain-activated LUCiD project and how is it designed to create change?
JM: LUCiD is an interactive digital video installation that you control with your mind. Using a wireless EEG Brain Control Interface, we analyze a person’s mental state via a meditation algorithm. If one can clear their mind they can change the outcome of what they see. In the beginning, it’s just ocean trash. If their mind is clear and one begins to meditate, the work is triggered to show a series of clips that include Whales, Dolphins and Humans living together in underwater harmony. In essence, it shows us that if we think differently then we can actually make a change. We have this concept that when we throw something away it is just handled — someone takes care of it. When it comes to waste we are incredibly trusting. We are masters at waste delegation. However, there is a transfer of responsibility with zero accountability. The hope with LUCiD is that we use positive imagery to yield positive results.
LA: What do you think the role of art is in agitating for positive social and environmental change?
For centuries Art has agitated cultures, positively or negatively. It’s a way of communicating a narrative that touches the heart. Our brains are constantly filtering out what is important and non-important data. Over time we become non-receptive to different forms of communication. This is why Art is so powerful: when we are exposed to it, it can break barriers down and hit us hard. If done properly, we are changed forever. It just so happens that I’m using it for social and environmental change.
LA: When we spoke in Dallas, at Level Gallery during your latest show, you said you wanted to re-frame the perspective of plastic waste in the ocean away from the idea of it being an ‘island’ and towards the more accurate idea of it being ‘smog’ under the sea. Can you explain the science behind this?
JM: Well sometimes, I honestly believe that there are egos larger than the plastic in the ocean and this, of course, presents a problem. It’s true that when plastic first enters the ocean it is in whole pieces — something that is recognizable. Animals often mistake it for food, biting bits and pieces off. Ultraviolet light from the sun can start the decomposition of plastic but not if it is in the water. In time, the plastic breaks down into smaller pieces often called microplastics or what 5GYRES has coined nanoplastic. We are now finding microplastics and nanoplastics in the ocean that are impossible to see with the naked eye. This is why you don’t see aerial photos of the mythical “Plastic Island.” If you were to search for this island, I’d tell you that there is a higher probability of finding the mythical city of Atlantis. Marcus Erikson with 5GYRES has done some great work separating fact from fiction. His group has spent well over 100,000 miles at sea over the last 10 years gathering strong scientific data.
LA: You have traveled and explored far and wide capturing your work, what is the most disturbing thing you have encountered during your time documenting ocean plastic waste?
JM: I’ve found so many things over time that nothing really surprises me. Perhaps the most disturbing is watching someone dump a plastic wrapper from their boat in Hawaii. I have a real hard time with this one. I mean it’s like, when you’re a kid, your mom is mopping the floor and you just walk in with muddy shoes. We have to change our behavior.
LA: You have also had these amazing opportunities to explore parts of this beautiful planet may of us will never get to see, what is the most mind blowing thing you have experienced through doing your work?
I’m continually surprised with this project and its like a drug that keeps pulling me in for more. A month ago, we had about 37 Male Humpback Whales on a heat run. This is when a group of males are chasing down a female or set of females. Its a lot like high-school but with much bigger bullies. To witness this in the wild was absolutely amazing. I was working alongside NOAA off the shores of Maui. It only reinforces the need to protect what we currently have in the ocean. Second to that, I did a LIVE installation at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary Museum in Dallas a few months back and one woman was so touched that she was literally crying. I was touched that this work meant so much to her. There have been so many things that have blown me away and, with every click of the shutter, something else shows itself to me in ways I could not have imagined.
LA: People often defer responsibility to other people when it comes to participating in addressing these types of important issues. What advice would you give to someone looking to activate people creatively?
This is a great point. I often say that those who ignore the damage being done are equal to those committing the damage. If you saw a woman or a child being beaten or robbed at the restaurant you were eating at, would you get up and do something? If you choose to do nothing, would you not then in fact be an accomplice? We don’t have a choice to do nothing. We have to act because it means our survival. It’s not me that’s going to solve it, it’s not that other guy or the government. It’s YOU and it’s US. When we realize that our passive actions are ruining the earth, we need to realize that sooner or later we too will be ruined.
We have to see this is a real issue — our lives are at risk. I don’t hope to change 7.4bn people, but perhaps 100k of the right people can make a difference.
LA: What are some key facts that people should know about ocean plastic?
- 50% of the plastic we use, we use just once and throw away.
- Enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth 4 times.
- We currently recover only 5% of the plastics we produce.
- The average American throws away approximately 185 pounds of plastic per year.
- Virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form (with the exception of the small amount that has been incinerated).
- Plastic chemicals can be absorbed by the body — 93% of Americans age 6 or older test positive for BPA (a plastic chemical).
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Jeremy McKane is an Artist from Dallas who makes a living telling a story through images. Jeremy is most known for his underwater photography. It wasn’t until 2009 that Jeremy really started projection art in full force, and in August 2010 Jeremy projected his first underwater video installation at Aurora in Dallas Texas where his underwater figurines were on a 2 story building. Since then he has shown his work in New York, Paris, Bogota, Santiago and Maui. His goal with his latest series of work LUCiD aims to bring the ocean to everyone and FOUND is a collection of prints and found objects from his LUCiD excursions. To help them realize how vital it is to human life to take care of it.
