Catherine Weaver

Artist Statement

This series, Climate Arcade, focuses on the environmental issues every animal faces in the current environmental climate. Each ‘animal’ in the series is a combination of sea and land-dwelling, such as a chicken and a crab. This idea was formed through a series of small-scale mixed media sculptures. The work demonstrates environmental issues affecting every animal on this earth.

The series depicts three different settings: sky, land, and sea. Each of these aspects are shown through the use of a diorama on a lazy-Susan inside an arcade machine. On one side of the diorama, a healthy ‘animal’ is shown within their environment. But, once turned, the tone shifts and the ‘animal’ along with their environment are shown to be damaged by some form of pollution. The pollution includes oil spills,  light pollution, and trash that is washing up on the shores of beaches. The dioramas are made in a simplified graphic style and are displayed in arcade cabinets. The cabinets are used to show the viewer that the environmental issues currently happening are not a game. If this does not change, the animals, along with humanity, will feel the consequences.

Through the use of  the arcade cabinet format, I hope to form a connection with older generations who grew up playing them. The simplified style and character-based sculptures are for the younger audience. This allows for younger viewers to understand what is happening to the animals around them every day.   Some viewers may be inclined to disregard serious depictions of environmental issues. Through an easily digestible style of presentation, I hope to draw these viewers’ attention in a direction they may not have considered previously to highlight environmental repercussions.