Eliza Bell - 2024

Artist's Statement

Trash Heaven is a piece inspired by a dream my maternal grandmother, Meg had. In her dream, she has died and is being guided to heaven by an angel. The angel explains to her that she is seeing all the garbage she has thrown away during her lifetime, and that is what the afterlife will be like. My grandmother was raised in Utah, and follows the predominant Mormon religion. One of her core beliefs revolves around the belief in the afterworld existing on the Earth. How can the Earth become heaven when we have so neglected and polluted the land?

The piece is about that narrative, but I also wanted to incorporate my own fears about the growing climate issues and the creation of textile waste. Fast fashion is a growing issue, and overconsumption has led to the massive textile waste and increasing global emission. We as a society are buying more and buying less quality pieces. This issue has led to a culture of thrown away objects and single use products, which is largely unsustainable. In the piece, I used second-hand fabric in order to combat this issue, while also ensuring personal narratives. Trash Heaven combines spiritual issues as well as climate issues. What will our world be like for our children? Will our afterlives be filled with trash? What is our own personal role in this disaster?