Harvest

The Scottish Fisheries Museum welcomes an exhibition of new work by ceramic artist Mella Shaw. Evolving as its nationwide tour progresses, this exhibition responds to the huge and present problem of plastic pollution in our seas and its impact on marine life.

The seabed is littered with ceramic vessels left there by thousands of years of human history - but plastic, similarly inexpensive to produce and equally durable, has superseded this natural material. Plastic pollution now threatens the very life of our oceans.

A tipping point is fast approaching and it is confidently predicted that, unless something drastically changes, by 2050 there will be a greater weight of plastic in the oceans than fish.

Using smoke-firing techniques with large quantities of press-moulded and slip-cast forms, Shaw’s strong but delicate work focuses on this urgent issue of plastic pollution in the oceans and seas – exploring and confronting themes of fragility and loss.

HARVEST received funding through Creative Scotland and was first shown at Collect Open, Saatchi Gallery, London in February and then at Custom Lane, Leith, Edinburgh March/April 2018.