Caught On Tape (2020)
VHS is one of the many plastics that can’t be recycled, tape contains cobalt, chromium and iron, which can break down or come off as dust from the tape. The iron may not be so much of a problem, as humans naturally have iron in their bodies (though too much iron can be bad), but cobalt and chromium are certainly toxic and can cause cancer. I recycled the cases and the hardware I gave to an artist friend of mine that has been creating mandalas using scrap pieces she saves from the landfill, so there is one small score for the waste problem, but the tape can’t be recycled, not ever, and while I was working with it, unravelling the spools of tape, breathing in the dust and gas emanating from the tape, I felt my throat itch and give me a sore throat. I realized how bad this could be for me, imagine having this stuff in our land fills, leaching into our soil… I was the unlucky recipient of over 50 VHS cassettes for this project and for that I am ever more aware of the volume of toxic materials we surround ourselves with on a daily basis.
This project used Mylar VHS tape (846,000 feet of it) their plastic spools, Keurig K-cups, plastic bags, dryer sheet, loofa sponge & plastic cups. $9,820
