Closing reception of Polish-Canadian artist Anya Mielniczek’s exhibit: Youngplace Artscape, 180 Shaw St. Toronto. August 24, 2017.
Plastic Coated (2017)
Over the last century plastic has taken over the planet. Our modern day living is easy, disposable, and plastic coated. The material under fire is labeled both a miracle and a curse, saving lives in the medical industry while causing havoc in our oceans. Plastic Coated is an exhibit by multidisciplinary artist Anya Mielniczek which explores garbage and plastic pollution through material collages that bring awareness to environmental degradation our consumeristic tendencies have.
About the Artist
Mielniczek takes easily discarded materials such as plastic bags and candy wrappers adding value to what is otherwise considered trash. Inspired by waste and the treatment of our natural resources her pieces are emotionally charged, experimental and compiled of layers, textures, and the energy felt in unaltered lines. Decidedly forming a greater narrative pertinent to environmental change –informing herself as well as viewers, of the obstacles our finite world faces in light of our hyper-consumption.
See below for photo-gallery of Plastic Coated (2017) by Sophia Snieg. Begidzhanov, CPCC Communications Committee Chair @ss.gb
You can view Anya’s artwork on her website www.anyamielniczek.com, purchase her work online here. Follow the artist on Tumblr, Facebook and Instagram.
Anya Mielniczek’s latest art projects:
· Live Painting for Collective Arts Brewing and Nuit Rose
· Live Painting for Collective Arts Brewing for Summer Wednesdays at Evergreen Brickworks (July-Aug)
· Live Painting for Collective Arts Brewing and Beer Bistro (July)
· Live Painting for The Living Arts Centre (Mississauga) for Canada Day (July)
· Brookside/Humbercrest Laneway Project (StART) (July/Aug)
· Installing the Bangledesh Cultural Centre Mural (Mural Routes) (August)
· Butterflyway Laneway (StART and David Suzuki/Butterflyway Project) (June)
· Royal York/Strath Humber Electrical Box (StART) (August)
· Underpass Park Pillar (Mural Routes, StART, City of Toronto, –Corktown, PanAmPath, Relay2017) (August)
· Chester Le Community Centre Youth Mural (Art Starts) (Aug-Oct)
· Traveling Mural Program (Art Starts) (March-June)
· St.Cyril Fencing Art (StART) (September)
Art Shows / Art Battles
Solo Shows:
· 2016 Sophrosyne: Polyethylene Based-Control – Singapore, INSTINC – Show Images
· BlogTO article: Link here
· 2016 Duality/Dwoistosc – Krakow Poland, Dom Polonii- Show Images
· Polish article: Link here
· 2017 Plastic Coated, Toronto, Artscape Youngeplace – (July-August)
· 2017 House of VR (more just hanging a couple of my past works) Queen and Bathurst, Toronto (until round 2nd week of September)
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· Art Battle 500 (500th Art Battle in Toronto) (February)
· Art Battle Toronto Finals (July)
· Art Battle Ryerson Event (September)
How did your time in Singapore influence your exhibition Plastic Coated (2017)?
Singapore was an inspiration of colour and climate. From the multicoloured exotic fruit to the array of plastic coloured bags. It influenced my eco art and series of material/garbage collages that were also displayed alongside new work in Plastic Coated. I felt the high consumption of plastic in Singapore/Bali, from packaging of things to foods to your groceries being double bagged and all the takeout food courts rammed with garbage’s filled to the brim of Styrofoam definitely moved me, seeing this disposable material everywhere. It made me think about what ways I could utilize it and shed light at what volume we come in and out of contact with it, along with (obviously) environmental facts about its impact inherently not only on us but nature around us.
Plastic Coated was an extension of the work created in Singapore, which initially began with my ‘Garbage’ series in my thesis year of University. I believe it will always be an evolving and growing series of work. “Over 80% of household garbage can be recycled.
This includes candy wrapper foil and that foil like paper from cigarette packaging (both of which I heavily use in my collages) We’re currently recycling around 30% of our household waste… “ which shows us how little we might be thinking about these materials were throwing out, which ultimately can be recycled and disposed of in a more sustainable manner.
Some organizations that I support are ones promoting change and doing pro-active work if it’s either in conservation, species/habitat/environmental protection, sustainable living etc. to name a few: 4Ocean — @4ocean | Sea Shephard — @seashepherd | Life without Plastic — @lifewithoutplastic | Parley — @parley.tv | Trash Is For Tossers — @trashisfortossers | Anna-Marie Bonneau — @zerowastechef | Balu Blue Foundation Inc. — @balubluefoundation
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