Camille Melo
Natura Plasticus
With Canada soon joining the many countries banning single-use plastics, I wanted to reflect on how this increasing government regulation is a sign of how serious our plastic problem has become. Plastics consume our natural resources to be produced and pollute our environment once disposed of. Many are aware of how harmful single-use plastics yet continue to purchase and use these products every day. The importance we once held for nature seems to have become overshadowed by our selfish desire for convenience. To illustrate and expand upon these thoughts, I have created a series of photographic images titled Natura Plasticus. In these fifteen images, different single-use plastic objects are crafted into an inherently beautiful component of nature – flowers – and placed on top of botanical illustrations. Botanical imagery was historically considered to be a foundational component of scientific and medical knowledge, used to showcase the importance of plants to human health and wellbeing. My series asks: would we be willing to replace these flowers and all they represent with these destructive but convenient artificial forms?