Hazlegrove Prep children work with artist to design sculpture that highlights fight against plastic

Somerset artist and sculptor Fiona Campbell returned to Hazlegrove Prep School to view her art installation which was created as part of the Hazelgrove Festival of Wellbeing held earlier this year.

Fiona worked with the children to design and create an albatross sculpture made out of recycled wire and plastic which was inspired by the state of the oceans and the plight of sea birds. 

Fiona said, ‘My inspiration for the albatross originated from learning about Chris Jordan’s experiences in Midway, where he found numerous dead albatross chicks and inside, their stomachs were filled with shards of plastic. These are images which disturbed me deeply and left me in tears. Plastic floats and is often brightly coloured. The albatross swoops down thinking it is fish and feeds it to its young. I recently went to see the film A Plastic Ocean. The film reveals some incredibly hard-hitting facts about our current situation: micro plastic is in every single organism in our seas and 80% of plastic from landfills leaks into the ocean. I am hopeful for the future; it is quite late in the day, but nature is tough and, hopefully, will adapt.’ 

The Year 8 pupils were full of questions for the artist, including questions about the plastic islands near Hawaii that have collected naturally by ocean currents and the multiplication of toxins as they go up the food chain. The Hazlegrove Director of Studies, David Edwards, said, ‘We wanted an object that is dedicated to the world about us, to remind us on a daily basis of the fragility of the planet and our commitment to its preservation. The Year 8 pupils came away from the session more informed, determined to do more and proud of the albatross they created. They view it as a symbol of our world’s plight and look at it with hope for the future.’ 

Fiona Campbell will be giving a talk about her work, which will include the albatross project, at the 'Ocean Matters' event on Saturday, 26 May 2018 at 4.30pm, at Bristol Aquarium.