Old plastic bags make new, colourful coral reefs

Brett Williamson -

An item that has been one of the oceans biggest polluters is gaining a new life replicating some of the beauty it destroys. Discarded plastic bags are evolving into brightly coloured coral reefs as part of an Adelaide art project.

What began as an experiment in America to help teach students about hyperbolic space by using crochet became an environmental art movement that has spread around the world.

By discovering that crocheted plastic provided good examples of hyperbolic spaces, it was then found that connected patterns resembled coral-like forms.

Interconnecting patterns could then form plastic reefs.

Adelaide project manager Cherry Greenslade said the local creations would feature three varieties of creation with a toxic reef created from recycled textiles, a standard reef made from a variety of yarns, and a bleached reef made from white items.

Plastic bags are cut horizontally into long hoops and threaded into each other.

The strands are then used as yarn to crochet.

Different colours of plastic bags are used to replicate the differing colours of a reef, with materials also varying from bags to old video and audio cassette tapes.

"You can make some pretty beautiful shapes."

The collection of crocheted reefs will make part of the Toxic Reef display that will be created for the South Australia's Living Artists (SALA) Festival and will be displayed at the RiAus Building from 4 August 2011.

All artists submitting work for the reef will be nominated as SALA artists.

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