Sofie Siegmann

THE ELEMENTS . 2007
Open Circle Foundation; grant to build the sculpture 'THE ELEMENTS' out of plastic toys
Open Circle Foundation; Stipendium zur Herstellung der Skulptur 'THE ELEMENTS' aus Plastikspielzeugen
THE ELEMENTS/The Twisted System/Stuff'n'Stuff was installed in front of the Education Center at the Transfer Station in San Leandro in April 2007. This sculpture was created with the help of three 4th grade classes at Emerson Elementary School in Berkeley, CA. The students extensively researched the subject of plastic toy manufacturing and helped to design and name the sculpture. Some things to think about while viewing the sculpture:
-Plastic comes from oil, a non-renewable natural resource.
-Over 90% of the things we use daily are made from plastics.
-The manufacturing, consumption, disposal and recycling of plastic toys forms a transportation cycle between China and the U.S.
China buys much of the plastic we put in our recycling bins to make new products. 80% of plastic toys are made in China and are shipped across the Pacific for distribution to American children. The end result is that the plastics shipped from the U.S. to China for recycling often come back to us as toys and other products. We can reduce, reuse and recycle plastics to help have less plastic waste.
Find out more at http://www.StopWaste.org

This project has been made possible through a grant from Open Circle Foundation.
http://www.art4environment.org