Lauritzen Gardens’ ‘Metamorphosis’ repurposed art encourages recycling, waste management
Creating art from trash is both beautiful and educational. Lauritzen Gardens visitors can take in the beauty of “Metamorphosis” while learning about plastic’s effect on the environment and suggestions on ways to help improve recycling plastics.
The world creates about 2.6 trillion pounds of garbage annually. Of that, 8.3 billion metric tons are plastic-related, according to National Geographic. About 6.3 billion metric tons become plastic waste. People recycle only about 9 percent of the waste. In the end, it can take up to 400 years for plastic to degrade.
Rather than bore or guilt visitors with statistics and demands, “Metamorphosis” artists acknowledge that plastics help improve our lives, simplifying things. However, we can improve our recycling efforts. We can also utilize more reusable items, such as coffee mugs and glass containers.
Lauritzen Gardens sits on a former landfill site. Omaha used the bale system for handling that garbage. Baling reduces garbage volume by forging it into bales, often weighing at least a ton. In 1978, about half of Omaha’s city waste was handled via the bale system (about 83,000 tons). The exhibit provides an example of the bale system outside the visitors center.
People stroll through the visitors center and view plastic products created using a variety of ingredients, including corn. Each display includes a list of recycling ideas.
Most of the exhibit’s 18 plastic sculptures are located inside the Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory. However, visitors need to check out “Arise” in the visitors center, a 45-foot tall vortex.
Birds in the temperate garden
The remaining pieces are divided in the conservatory’s temperate and tropical gardens. The temperate features birds created by artists Sayaka Ganz and Aurora Robson. The artists’ sea theme in the tropical garden features dolphins and a whale alongside jellyfish and other creatures.
As visitors enter the conservatory, penguins greet them. “Plunge” features dolphins made with items such as cooking utensils and clothes hangers. As you view the three penguins, their beauty stands outs.
As we strolled through the temperate garden, the first thing that popped out to us was Ganz’s Hwa, a mythical red bird, commonly referred to as a phoenix. The beauty that was created out of recyclables holds people in awe of the art.
While waiting for a young boy to finish running around near the “Quiet” sculpture, so I could shoot a photograph, his mother and I engaged in a conversation on the attractiveness of the exhibit. She and her husband seek to have their children understand the importance of caring for their environment, so she hoped he learned something while playing.
“Storm” seeks to educate people about the effects wind and storms have on plastics. Their strength can move plastics far from their original disposal site.
As you stroll through the temperate garden, you’ll see gulls positioned overhead. As scavengers, they pore through garbage looking for food. They can mistake plastic items as a food source. The artist encourages people to cut the holes from plastic containers, like you have with a six-pack of soda. This is a practice that is automatic for us at home. This prevents animals from becoming entangled.
Under the sea
As you enter the tropical garden, you’ll encounter an arch of varied colors. “Celebration of Existence” focuses on the importance of coral reefs for sea life survival. About a quarter of the display is white, representing coral bleaching, which kills the coral.
Jelly fish, urchins and other underwater life are created from bowls and strings, among other resources. They hang from trees and plants in the garden.
A school of dolphins looks beautiful swimming above the trees. As you approach them, you can see the plastic items used to create them, items from everyday use, such as spoons and wiper blades.
A giant blue whale hangs nearby. In the ocean, they can reach 100 feet long. Their large mouths swallow a large amount of plankton and fish. Unfortunately, they also take in a lot of plastics and other garbage dumped in the sea.
While the artwork on display is elegant and interesting to view, the message is clear – we need to do a better job of recycling and controlling what we use. “Metamorphosis: From Reclaimed Plastics to Works of Art” runs through May 13. In addition to Ganz and Robson, Jim Merz helped create some of the art.
For more information on the exhibit and admission, please visit www.lauritzengardens.org.
