Aurora Robson: Sea Change Opens at The Halsey

Every job has its perks, and I got to have an up close and personal look at Aurora Robson setting up her site-specific installation at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art this week for the Sea Change opening.

Y'all. I'm dying here! I fangirled so hard, I was sure they'd ask me to leave.

Not only is she such a cool person, but Robson is an incredible and incredibly accomplished artist focused on environmental issues, especially plastic debris in our oceans. And she's even done a series of pieces using junk mail, which is so serendipitously timed with my last post. Her installation in the Halsey is SO COOL. I'm not sure I can use my photos of it here, but here's a link to them.

So here's a screen cap of CofC's Instagram from earlier this week:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaMiQ4tgFm0/?taken-by=collegeofcharleston

That's TRASH! From the ocean. And it's so pretty! Ok. So imagine a full room-sized installation of that, with really fun lighting, and you'll have an idea why I'm so excited. It's colorful, impactful, textural, and very thought provoking. I love the concepts of her work, but honestly I'd love it even without that. Just from a purely visual perspective, her work is a delight. (Insert shameless fangirling here.)

Plastic water bottles (and you know how I feel about plastic litter) and laundry detergent tops are strung together to mimic organic and foreign forms, ordinary everyday objects take on an otherworldly and captivating aura in this large installation. And all of it was pulled from our seas before being cleaned, transformed, and given a new life. Again, my photos of Aurora's installation process are now up on CofC's website here! 

AND fellow artist Chris Jordan is a pretty heavy hitter as well. Those images of the albatross skeletons filled with plastic are bound to haunt you. I can't stop thinking about them.

Oh, and it's free. The Halsey is free and open to the public. 

So there's no reason for you not to check it out. 

And hey! Shoot-dang! Let's be honest. You're going to go out this weekend and burn off some steam and spend too much money, right? Why not make it a weekend for the water? If you're not into art (you savage), hit the Tour de Ashley benefitting the Charleston Waterkeeper! There will be beer and food trucks and music, and if you don't like any of those things, you are no longer allowed to read this blog.

Seriously. Shoo. Get.

Into surfing, water sports, or cool films? Head to the Carolina Surf Film Festival, which benefits non-profit Surfer's Healing and raises awareness for the Charleston Waterkeeper and the Surfrider Foundation. This year's film fest is at Brickhouse Kitchen, and we all know that place is a good time.

Happy weekend, y'all! Whatever you do, do it with purpose, so get out there and party for the planet!