In the 21st century, marine ecosystems face unprecedented challenges, such as plastic pollution, climate change, and overfishing. These issues severely disrupt not only the habitats of marine animals but also the overall balance of the ecosystem. Plas...
In the 21st century, marine ecosystems face unprecedented challenges, such as plastic pollution, climate change, and overfishing. These issues severely disrupt not only the habitats of marine animals but also the overall balance of the ecosystem. Plastic pollution, a product of the industrial era, has become one of the main contributors to global marine environmental problems. While plastic has brought convenience to human society, its widespread use has incurred unsustainable ecological costs. In particular, for marine animals, plastic waste is not just a threat to life, but also has long-term and profound detrimental effects on ecosystem health. As a result, global discussions on marine plastic pollution and animal rights issues are intensifying, with society actively seeking effective strategies to address these problems. In the field of art, works that reflect human emotions and thoughts play a crucial role in raising public awareness and promoting social change. This study, based on the concept of "upcycling," combines scrap metal and commonly found HDPE bottle caps to create an artistic jewelry piece that expresses the suffering of marine animals. Through this practice, the lifespan of plastic is extended, environmental pollution is reduced, and the destructive pressure plastic pollution exerts on marine animals is visually communicated through art. The aim is to make the public aware of the survival crisis of marine animals under plastic pollution, evoke emotional empathy, and inspire deeper reflection across society on the issue of plastic pollution. To achieve the research goals outlined above, the study progresses as follows: Chapter 2 provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of marine plastic pollution and its impacts on marine ecosystems, defining marine pollution and summarizing the distribution of marine debris. Particular focus is given to the characteristics of plastic waste and its long-term harm to marine animals. Chapter 3 focuses on animal welfare and investigates the environmental policies and environmental protection movements taken by various sectors of society to address marine pollution. It specifically examines, through case studies, how art conveys the issue of plastic pollution culturally and how it influences society. Chapter 4, based on humanistic research on pain, analyzes the sculptural methods of expressing pain in art by studying multiple case studies of works. Among these works that express pain, this study selected the keywords "distortion of form," "wounds and damage," and "grotesqueness" as the main elements for expressing pain. Through these elements, the study analyzes how pain is conveyed and how it evokes emotional responses from the audience, laying the foundation for the jewelry design in this research. Chapter 5 explores the concept of "upcycling," its formation and definition, and how it is applied in industrial products and artworks, with specific case studies. In the analysis of jewelry design, existing production methods are categorized into cold joints, low-temperature heating, and high-temperature reconfiguration, seeking both theoretical foundations and practical applications for the design process. In Chapter 6, upcycling is applied to jewelry design by selecting scrap metal and HDPE bottle caps as primary materials. Various experimental approaches were undertaken to explore the possibilities of shaping plastic waste. The method of melting HDPE bottle caps to extract plastic threads was chosen and applied as a key sculptural material. The story structure of the work consists of a series of pieces that portray the birth, growth, death, and complete destruction of marine animals. The first series focuses on the beginning of marine animal life, showing that from birth, animals are exposed to harm in the form of plastic waste. The second series visually depicts marine animals swallowing or entangling with plastic waste, addressing the suffering and struggles caused by plastic pollution during the growth process. The third series shows the diffusion of plastic during the process of the animal's body breaking down, and emphasizes the issue of waste plastic being released back into the ocean as the dead marine animal's body decomposes.The fourth series represents the "vicious cycle" in which microplastics released from dead marine animals become "bad nutrients" that affect new life. The jewelry works focused on the suffering of marine animals express the researcher's concern for plastic pollution and the survival welfare of marine animals, while reflecting a profound reflection on social behavior. The works demonstrate the negative impacts of plastic pollution on marine animals and explore the possibility of combining environmental protection with artistic creation through an innovative approach of incorporating "upcycling" elements. The goal of this research is to evoke psychological empathy in the audience, making them aware of the serious threat that plastic pollution poses to marine animals and stimulating public environmental awareness and action. Through the expressive power of art, the researcher calls for a societal reflection on the marine ecological crisis and hopes to promote sustainable development and environmentally friendly thinking. Ultimately, through the power of art, this research aims to deepen society’s understanding of environmental pollution issues and guide society toward more positive and sustainable behavioral changes.