detail of Use Less/Useless, 20x26", PTFE dental floss on "treeless" polypropylene paper, 2021

Plastic is a material we love to hate, and with good reason (cue horrifying photos of garbage-choked rivers). But it's also the most versatile material humankind has ever invented, touching every aspect of our lives: clothing, housewares, toys, medical devices, vehicles, and infrastructure. How has a material that in only seventy years replaced all traditional materials in every application earned the reputation for being worthless and disposable? Shouldn’t we revere such a valuable material?

detail (approximately 5 months) of Year of Plastic, Family of Four, 312" x 312", quilted single-use plastic, 2021

By treating plastic with devotion, Kalliopi Monoyios points a finger at consumerism as the root of our pollution problems, while honoring a material that makes modern life efficient and comfortable. Monoyios collects, washes, folds, and sews used food wrappers and other plastics into new sculptural works using similarly undervalued art forms like quilting, weaving, and embroidery. The body of work in this exhibit expands on Monoyios’ themes of surprising and quirky uses of plastic, all with the goal of inviting people to think deeper about their own relationships with the material beyond just bags and straws.

Exhibit: April 1 - June 26, 2022 at the Littleton Museum in Littleton, CO
Opening reception: March 31st from 5:30-7pm; open to the public, 21+
Artist's talk: April 2nd at 2pm, Littleton Museum, Littleton, CO
More information: https://www.littletongov.org/city-services/city-departments/museum/exhibits/patterns-of-consumption
Artist’s website: http://www.kalliopimonoyios.com
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