Plastic Hyperobjects

Andy Hughes is an innovative interdisciplinary artist whose work revolves around plastic hyperobjects and wet ontologies. His exploration of the effects of new materialism on politics and ecology involves the integration of philosophy, literature, art, and archival film. Recently, he returned to England after living on Gapado, a tiny island in South Korea. Clarrie Wallis, the director of Turner Contemporary, nominated him for a six-month artist residency, during which he created artworks that incorporated various concepts such as the real, the surreal, surfaces, the ocean, circulatory systems, plastic waste, and energy.

In 2013 he was one of a group of distinguished artists and scientists invited to join Gyre: The Plastic Ocean. This was the world's first expedition combining art and science to respond to and interpret the global crisis of plastic pollution in our oceans and coasts. 'There isn’t a place on this globe where traces of plastic cannot be found. No longer a mere local problem, but a huge global problem. Plastic waste seems to me to be the ultimate Kristevian abject matter – once desired, then discarded and reviled. Extract © Andy Hughes | Gyre The Plastic Ocean | ISBN-13: 978-1861543554

His "Dominant Wave Theory" project, offers a comprehensive photographic examination of plastic and human waste on the coasts of Europe and the United States, and was published in 2006 as a groundbreaking book. The publication includes commentary from distinguished experts, such as Dr Richard Thompson OBE and Chris Hines MBE, and was released by Booth-Clibborn Editions in London and Abrams in New York. The project's inception dates back to when he learned to surf while studying fine art in Cardiff, South Wales during the 1990s. He began photographing plastic that washed ashore, leading to the creation of this project. During this time, he also became a member of Surfers Against Sewage and has supported their mission throughout their entire history.

He has been producing photography and video artworks, from various places such as the beaches of Portugal, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, and Spain, as well as city streets in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Seoul. His artistic practice has been fueled by his interest in plastic for over three decades, as both a subject and object. The very materiality of plastic has permeated every aspect of our lives, making it incomprehensible to humans. Its presence is ubiquitous worldwide, spanning from the deepest oceans to our homes. Plastic's impact can be felt in our atmosphere, food, blood, and the earth itself, as well as other non-human organisms. The complex and pervasive nature of plastic has created an interconnected global system that is challenging to comprehend, and its implications are impossible for any individual to fully grasp

Hughes has been involved in photography for over thirty years, and his interest in Paul Nash was rekindled in 2016 after visiting the Paul Nash exhibit at Tate Britain. Nash's ability to infuse life into non-living things fascinated Hughes. This concept was also explored by Jane Bennet in her book Vibrant Matter, where she suggests that all matter is pulsing with life. Hughes further pursued his passion in the summer of 2018 and 2019 by travelling along the coast from Cornwall through Somerset, Dorset, and the Kent Coast, visiting Hastings and concluding his journey at Dungeness.