Keeping Polymer Green

If you haven’t gotten your hands on the latest issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, you really should. Not just because we put it together but because the contributors and artists in this issue bring up a particularly relevant and little discussed topic … how do we as artists who work with a plastic material create and contribute to our world in a responsible green manner?

Here is an excerpt from the Editor’s page that sums up some of the sentiments relayed throughout the magazine.

“Some people will say that as artists, we have a social responsibility to enact change, to be role models and influence the people we reach  because we have that unique power to effect people personally. It is pretty amazing to think that what we do can be so influential. Even if you are not making a huge philosophical statement with your pretty earrings or charming sculptures, you are touching people. But does that mean we as artist have a greater responsibility than most people to be environmentally aware, to be guardians of our society and how we treat the earth?

“I would say no. We are responsible but not because we are artists. Yes, we can show people through our imagery and our reach how the world is, how it has been, how it could be, and how we think it should be. Some artists will choose to do this. That’s wonderful. But some of us just want to bring a smile to someone’s day or make them feel beautiful. Very grand and noble causes. So no, I don’t think we are burdened with a social cause because we choose to create. I think we are responsible because we are human. We are concious, sentinet beings who can literally change our world and we need to take responsibility as guardians, not of the earth (she can take care of herself) but of what we do while we are here. I think as people who want to add beauty to the world, we are generally more sensitive to seeing beauty destroyed. The thing is, these days it’s easier to make something beautiful than to save the beauty that already exists. But if we want to live in a beautiful world, we need to do both.”

You can get your copy of the most recent issue on our website at: http://www.thepolymerarts.com/Subscribe.html

And do let us know what you think of this issue by leaving comments below. Be heard! 🙂