Sidewalk litter will be a lot harder to ignore for passersby at Yonge + St. Clair this month, as Natural Plasticity’s massive plastic waste art installation makes the intersection its home for Earth Month 2019. Natural Plasticity’s larger-than-life single-use plastic replicas stand 20-30 ft. tall and take the form of disposable cups, bottles, and straws, bringing plastic products into the hub of our everyday convenience. Funded by Slate Asset Management, the inflatable installations will be on display until May 1st at various locations around Yonge + St. Clair.
“Slate’s celebration of Earth Month highlights our commitment to public art and sustainability at Yonge + St. Clair, taking a more creative approach to spreading awareness about our daily habits,” says Lucas Manuel, Partner & Managing Director at Slate Asset Management. “We’re always looking to engage with tenants, community members, and visitors and spark dialogue, especially at Yonge + St.Clair, where the ongoing transformation of the neighbourhood is top of mind.”
pictured at 2 St. Clair West, Toronto. (Courtesy: Khristel Stecher)
California-based artists, Jana Cruder and Matthew LaPenta, created Natural Plasticity in 2013, after years of personal research and exploration into the environmental impacts caused by plastic waste. “It was heartbreaking to go deeper into nature and to see a plastic bottle wedged into a Sequoia tree, wondering ‘how could this even get here?’” says Cruder. “By bringing these inflatables into the local landscape, we’re mimicking the way plastics interact with our natural environment, and we’re hoping to start a conversation of consciousness – one that raises questions about consumer behaviours when it comes to single-use plastics.”
pictured at 2 St. Clair West, Toronto. (Courtesy: Khristel Stecher)
Prior to the display in Toronto, Natural Plasticity’s travelling installations have been featured in California, New York, and Florida. This month represents the first time the installations have travelled north of the border.
Slate has been active in the Yonge + St. Clair neighbourhood, having acquired 10 properties in the area since 2013, including all four corners of the intersection.
