Thirst

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Artist: Elise Vazelakis

Title: Thirst

Attribution: 2022, Thirst, Elise Vazelakis

Year: 2022

Materials: Reclaimed Yarn from Thrift Store Sweater, Plastic Bottles, Wire Mesh

Dimensions: 120 x 60 x 72 in

Image Statement: This body of work, “Thirst,” was inspired by witnessing construction crews consuming and disposing of thousands of plastic water bottles. By incorporating this plastic, which would otherwise be abandoned, I became interested in data mapping my consumption. The single-use plastic in my art represents nostalgia, memory, and the passage of time, creating complex multilayered woven pieces. I encase the water bottles in reclaimed fiber to create these pieces, transforming what would otherwise be thrown out or recycled. By unraveling thrift store sweaters to make reclaimed yarn, I knit circular enclosures to house the water bottles. The unraveling of the sweaters is analogous to my life after the fire, as I make something new while destroying it at the same time, recreating my life in a different form.