Event #2 - Jess Irish

     As part of my selected events for the course, I had the pleasure of attending Jess Irish's zoom talk regarding her artistic work with plastics awareness. Jess Irish is an incredible artist, designer, and writer that focuses on intersecting film and poetry to create an artistic medium that is both engaging and distinctive. She is currently a distinguished faculty member at Parsons School of Design with research interests in media design, participatory frameworks, non-linear narratives, sustainability, and community activism (Parsons School of Design, 2022). In this lecture, Jess focused on presenting her film, "This Mortal Plastik," a poetic essay dedicated to addressing the historical and present-day issues surrounding plastic (Irish, 2021). The film balanced information, imagery, and varied outside quotes to give the viewer an immersive and educational experience. From a personal perspective, I can say that the film was enjoyable and impactful. I have seen the effects of plastic on this planet through many forms/mediums, but this film felt entirely different. The animation within the film, in conjunction with the use of poetry and quotes, made the facts appear more urgent and relatable. It is hard to explain with words, but the entire experience made me reflect on the subject matter differently from what I had previously known.

 

    Furthermore, the film exposed many details and drew many relevant parallels. One of the most impactful examples of this came when the film touched on the topic of whales. Historically, whales have been hunted and utilized for their practical use within human commodities. Whale oil allowed humanity to conquer various aspects of life and became an integral part of daily life (PBS, 2008). As directly stated in the movie, "whales guided us to the modern-day." However, these advancements came at the cost of animal brutality and ecosystem destruction. Many at the time saw the discovery and implementation of plastic as a magic bullet, as it presented endless possibilities while replacing the need for other materials like whale oil. Ultimately, the miraculous nature attributed to plastic made us ignorant of the reality of potential problems or dangers. As a society, we rushed to implement plastic in nearly every aspect of our lives to the extent of being cripplingly dependent on it. As expertly stated by Susan Freinkel and quoted within the film, “the skeleton, the connective tissue, the slippery skin of modern life."

     Lastly, as we reached the end of the film itself, we had the opportunity to hear from Jess about her process of creating this and ask questions. It really resonated with me to hear Jess talk about how she struggled with having confidence in her work because she is not a chemist. As an aspiring scientist and researcher, I have frequently struggled with being confident in my work because of sentiments of this nature. We are in a society that places disproportional power on specific standards of expertise. In the end, I am glad she touched on the topic, as it is incredibly encouraging to see others overcome similar obstacles. 

 

Works Cited:

“History and Future of Plastics.” Science History Institute, 20 Nov. 2019, https://www.sciencehistory.org/the-history-and-future-of-plastics.

“Faculty.” Jess Irish | Parsons School of Design, https://www.newschool.edu/parsons/faculty/jess-irish/.

Irish, Jess. “This Mortal Plastik.” This Mortal Plastik - a Film by Jess Irish, 14 Oct. 2021, http://thismortalplastik.com/.

Thompson, Richard C., et al. “Plastics, the Environment and Human Health: Current Consensus and Future Trends.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 364, no. 1526, 2009, pp. 2153–2166., https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2009.0053.

“The ‘Whale Oil Myth.’” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 20 Aug. 2008, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/this-post-is-hopelessly-long-w.