Art for Activism: Ink Hunter
To kick off Plastic Free July, we’re spotlighting Patrick Hunter (also known as Ink Hunter and Plastic Free Beaches). Patrick is an Australian street artist who uses his powerful artwork to spread important messages around plastic pollution, marine life and consumerism. He created the “No Space for Waste” piece exclusively for Shark Cafe to hold the world’s biggest polluters responsible for their packaging.
SC: You've created many pieces focused on the relationship between plastic pollution and marine life. Tell us about this series.
PH: In 2018, I made the New Years Resolution to be as plastic-free as possible. To mark this moment, I shared my first drawing about reducing plastics, which depicted a soy sauce fish turned into the skeleton of a human hand. The idea was to represent how we consume fish, and our consumption of plastic is dumped into and then consumed by fish.
By now, the vast majority of people are well aware of the negative impact of mass consumerism, and particularly the impact of plastic. My aim with my artworks is to allow the viewer to draw their own conclusion to change their behaviors.
SC: What is the goal of the #plasticfreebeaches movement?
PH: To educate people through non-conventional means that are interactive and visually inspiring, in order to create a positive impact.
SC: Your new piece depicts a shark made up of plastic waste from the top polluting companies. What inspired this piece?
PH: This piece stemmed from the frustration that some of the largest companies in the world have the power to create the biggest change, and often try to shine a light on their greenwashing efforts, but instead they continue to put profit over the good of the planet.
SC: What can people do on an individual level to curb the plastic pollution crisis?
PH: For me, it all started with small changes, which I gradually increased as I built up good habits and became more aware of ways to cut down on plastic. Just having a considerate mindset about how much plastic is used in everyday things can have a great impact. Take plastic packaging for example, and avoid fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic because they already have natural skins for packaging.
SC: If you could get one message out there, what would it be?
PH: We have to do our best, and believe that we can do our best. With deforestation, plastic pollution and climate change on the rise, we can only move forwards from where we are now, to resolve the problem and protect the environment we have today.
