Subverted Expectations: Refuse based weaving

In Homer's Odyssey, the Fates orchestrated the destinies of humankind with the pull of a string. Penelope, in turn, rewove a shroud to stall the hands of fate. Since then, weaving has functioned as a creative symbol for human destiny. The handwoven textiles by artist Ruth Douzinas continue this tradition. As one who grew up near the Aegean, Douzinas reflects on the country’s material traditions and its long-lasting influence on human culture.

The ugly cousin of material longevity is nonbiodegradability. Plastic has recently emerged as a historical substrate. It is the latest addition to Greece's collection of inter-woven memory objects—especially those related to the sea. This has occurred because globalization, tourism, and climate change have altered our experiences of the Aegean. Beach combing and snorkeling adventures that once yielded prize rocks and shells now conclude with bags of plastic refuse. How we handle this refuse will define the value of our future civilization. As Michael Thompson asserts, value is a mutable social relation. Waste represents a fulcrum point, where one form of value dies and another can be created.

In her work, Douzinas transforms value and remediates waste into an aesthetic object. She combines colorful, long-lasting beach plastic with objects from re-use centers into sculptural fiber installations. Like Penelope, she hopes to alter the future (in this case our ecological one). Her woven textiles introduce discarded materials back into culture. They symbolize the hope that human ingenuity can find solutions to our ecological crisis and reintroduce plastic in a productive way.