Gyre The Plastic Ocean

In 2013, the Anchorage Museum and the Alaska SeaLife Center brought together a team consisting of scientists, artists, and educators. Their mission was to embark on a journey along the Alaskan coastline with a unique purpose to actively collect, meticulously document, and deeply contemplate the marine debris they encountered during their expedition.

Gyre: The Plastic Ocean, 2013

The mission of "Gyre: The Plastic Ocean" was to delve into the intricate connection between humanity and the ocean within the broader context of a consumption-driven culture. Through the collective efforts of Mark Dion, Karen Larsen, Andy Hughes, Pam Longobardi, the scientists and many others an exhibition, book, and film were produced, which embarked on a touring journey across venues in the United States.

Gyre: The Plastic Ocean Movie

Now, in one of the most breathtaking places on the planet, a unique scientific expedition brings the problem into perspective. A flip-flop discarded in Thailand finds its way to Hawaii, and a bottle cast off from a tsunami in Japan becomes Alaska’s beach litter. In a culture dependent upon the modern convenience of plastic, throwaway products of consumption are affecting oceans and shrinking our world as we all become connected through our trash...

In this full-length film, National Geographic journeys along the remote Alaskan coast with an international team of artists and scientists in search of garbage. Artists Andy Hughes, Pam Longobardi and Mark Dion investigate the buildup of marine debris along the remote Alaskan coast. The world shrinks as we all become connected through our litter, yet somehow we are still severed from the problem we’ve created, killing the life that depends on the sea.

Gyre: The Plastic Ocean Book

Lavishly illustrated with informational graphics, paintings, sculptures, drawings and photography, this 212-page book accompanies the Gyre exhibition. Twelve essays by scientists, artists, writers and others explore the ways in which we are all connected — both by trash and by the sea, and through our individual actions. Gyre: The Plastic Ocean looks at human consumption, modern materials and environmental change and their impacts upon one of the largest, most mysterious and critical components of our planet: the ocean.

Funded by: Anchorage Museum Association, Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation Giles W. and Elise G. Mead Foundation, Leonard and Tannie Hyde, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Endowment for the Arts, North American Marine Environment Protection Association, Ocean Foundation, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Rasmuson Foundation, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Wells Fargo The William Randolph Hearst Foundation.

Gyre: The Plastic Ocean | Edited by Julie Decker
Buy on Amazon or through independent book stores
Published by Booth-Clibborn Editions