Jessica Willmore - 2023

Artist's Statement

My final project consists of creating a visual depiction of the record-breaking numbers we have discussed in class and I have researched concerning carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, animal scarcity, coral reef bleaching, deforestation, and more. These will all be represented on broken pieces of vinyl–also known as records. There is a double metaphor here: the negative connotation is present as we are breaking these specific types of records, and the second metaphor is that a broken record repeats itself. We, too, may feel like the messages we are hearing these days are on repeat, but ultimately the repetition is because these subjects deserve the emphasis.

1. The global temperature has increased by 1.1°C since pre-industrial times (source: IPCC).
2. Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reached a record high of 33.1 gigatons in 2019 (source: Global Carbon Project).
3. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has surpassed 400 parts per million (ppm), which is the highest it has been in at least 800,000 years (source: NOAA).
4. The world has lost 97% of its wild tiger population in the last century (source: WWF).
5. Around 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, equivalent to one garbage truck of plastic being dumped into the ocean every minute (source: UNEP).
6. Deforestation accounts for approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (source: FAO).
7. Overfishing has led to the depletion of 90% of the world's fish stocks (source: WWF).
8. In 2016, the Great Barrier Reef experienced the worst bleaching event on record, with 93% of the reef affected (source: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies).