Artist Turns Plastic Waste Into Giant Sculptural Installation

Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho was commissioned by the Potato Head Beach Club to create an art installation for their Seminyak location. The result is "Bouquet of Love" a 30' by 20' sculpture made entirely from plastic waste:

Travel and Leisure Asia reports that Nugroho built his reputation as a street artist, using found materials and making walls into his canvas. He's gone on to collaborate with Louis Vuitton and IKEA, so he certainly knows how to work with larger groups, but Nugroho told reporters that "Bouquet of Love" had a special meaning for him.

“I was deeply drawn to this project because environmental damage and pollution will have an effect on every aspect of life, not just art,” he said. “My love for Indonesia inspired me to create 'Bouquet of Love.' Indonesia is a rich, magnificent tropical country, which is also experiencing dynamic growth and development.” 

Even where the installation is place is significant; it faces the Indian Ocean, from the roof of the Escalier boutique, and much of the materials Nugroho used washed ashore from  the water it faces. He collected most of the pieces himself and the repurposed trash ranges from water bottles to broken down electronics, according to One Green Planet.

It took 660 pounds of plastic to build "Bouquet of Love." That's not even a drop in the bucket when it comes to plastic waste in our oceans. Costa Rica recently banned single use plastic in the country as a move towards  cleaning and repairing the damage garbage does to the planet. In fact, it's estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the water than fish. Nugroho's work is a reminder of that grim statistic. No one wants to look at trash and think too hard about where it's coming from, but his "Bouquet of Love" will get people to look and then look again.