https://mgnwong.com Megan Wong Sat, 09 May 2026 07:20:26 +0000 https://mgnwong.com en https://mgnwong.com/Home Tue, 05 May 2026 23:05:49 +0000 Megan Wong https://mgnwong.com/Home ALL SERVICE DESIGN CREATIVE RESEARCH ILLUSTRATIVE WORKS <img width="5858" height="4076" width_o="5858" height_o="4076" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d3f902829de1fe280a4b7965c187bf19643c5f7586ca96057898544694e8b0b4/IMG_1901.JPG" data-mid="248020399" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d3f902829de1fe280a4b7965c187bf19643c5f7586ca96057898544694e8b0b4/IMG_1901.JPG" /> <img width="5652" height="3776" width_o="5652" height_o="3776" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/114f4ad1f9b4bb6a6437c1d6536e4a0126a79590204b095f9bea2cb3037bf523/IMG_4810.JPG" data-mid="248020406" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/114f4ad1f9b4bb6a6437c1d6536e4a0126a79590204b095f9bea2cb3037bf523/IMG_4810.JPG" /> <img width="2868" height="1967" width_o="2868" height_o="1967" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c45fd66a2dcc82c5b0640f99132fab8012ba860da308540b982eecf9de1fe1f2/IMG_4803.JPG" data-mid="248020642" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c45fd66a2dcc82c5b0640f99132fab8012ba860da308540b982eecf9de1fe1f2/IMG_4803.JPG" /> <img width="6240" height="4011" width_o="6240" height_o="4011" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/88f2152b7ead2e3b49fb0e2408cff3e53c9e63e8ddcb9c25dc89ad93343a7ec8/IMG_1738.jpg" data-mid="248020659" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/88f2152b7ead2e3b49fb0e2408cff3e53c9e63e8ddcb9c25dc89ad93343a7ec8/IMG_1738.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/764a1b2f0c1197943b283d283f1fb5ca43ff3460897c8d03baff79a72c8d4521/Living-Traces-Install_08.JPG" data-mid="247902362" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/764a1b2f0c1197943b283d283f1fb5ca43ff3460897c8d03baff79a72c8d4521/Living-Traces-Install_08.JPG" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/03c888f2f393754f92dcd555f981c2778a2270eed12319ee161b940a27fbdb1f/tracing-afterlives-1.jpg" data-mid="247902360" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/03c888f2f393754f92dcd555f981c2778a2270eed12319ee161b940a27fbdb1f/tracing-afterlives-1.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/47ec8f79161fda13ebd4584a88a38c7414d7a5954af0a97913406b1734421d20/Bacteria-Cover-Photo.jpg" data-mid="247902364" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/47ec8f79161fda13ebd4584a88a38c7414d7a5954af0a97913406b1734421d20/Bacteria-Cover-Photo.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f6cea5fc0f2274b4cdd6a6c64208ee7e092577d5e26d7fadfb24c2f3279b1038/AccidentalCooking_CoverImage.jpg" data-mid="247902366" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f6cea5fc0f2274b4cdd6a6c64208ee7e092577d5e26d7fadfb24c2f3279b1038/AccidentalCooking_CoverImage.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bdb57ea226fb1216afcf0483e1ac4cc587a5baee2c5598d3385e694f60a7679d/Megan-Wong-11705783-1.jpg" data-mid="247902361" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bdb57ea226fb1216afcf0483e1ac4cc587a5baee2c5598d3385e694f60a7679d/Megan-Wong-11705783-1.jpg" /> <img width="2512" height="1675" width_o="2512" height_o="1675" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/00b2fd81c202b748fba01d20e26f4d5b58e48cd5972206f86b1246788510bfc2/Commemorating_front.jpg" data-mid="247902363" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/00b2fd81c202b748fba01d20e26f4d5b58e48cd5972206f86b1246788510bfc2/Commemorating_front.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6f8cfe93546e0e818e34ba3a5d5ea55ac98f726659729aef7b0ae06a09aa520f/All-Publications.jpg" data-mid="247902365" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6f8cfe93546e0e818e34ba3a5d5ea55ac98f726659729aef7b0ae06a09aa520f/All-Publications.jpg" /> <img width="3706" height="2472" width_o="3706" height_o="2472" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d42e01f2dad673b78056b7ad582c1af9d7d871a38aeb062143e0d3b435188d73/GeorgiaBrogan2025-UTSAIR-Selects-100.jpg" data-mid="248091865" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d42e01f2dad673b78056b7ad582c1af9d7d871a38aeb062143e0d3b435188d73/GeorgiaBrogan2025-UTSAIR-Selects-100.jpg" /> I acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation as the traditional owners of the land my research and work was conducted on. I also acknowledge the wider environments which we live in and amongst, and recognise that the decisions and actions we make today, no matter how small, will have consequences for other entities—now and into the future. mgn.j.wong@gmail.com ©2026 All rights reserved https://mgnwong.com/Service-design Sat, 09 May 2026 05:40:21 +0000 Megan Wong https://mgnwong.com/Service-design ALL SERVICE DESIGN CREATIVE RESEARCH ILLUSTRATIVE WORKS <img width="5858" height="4076" width_o="5858" height_o="4076" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d3f902829de1fe280a4b7965c187bf19643c5f7586ca96057898544694e8b0b4/IMG_1901.JPG" data-mid="248066943" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d3f902829de1fe280a4b7965c187bf19643c5f7586ca96057898544694e8b0b4/IMG_1901.JPG" /> <img width="5652" height="3776" width_o="5652" height_o="3776" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/114f4ad1f9b4bb6a6437c1d6536e4a0126a79590204b095f9bea2cb3037bf523/IMG_4810.JPG" data-mid="248066944" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/114f4ad1f9b4bb6a6437c1d6536e4a0126a79590204b095f9bea2cb3037bf523/IMG_4810.JPG" /> <img width="2868" height="1967" width_o="2868" height_o="1967" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c45fd66a2dcc82c5b0640f99132fab8012ba860da308540b982eecf9de1fe1f2/IMG_4803.JPG" data-mid="248066945" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c45fd66a2dcc82c5b0640f99132fab8012ba860da308540b982eecf9de1fe1f2/IMG_4803.JPG" /> <img width="6240" height="4011" width_o="6240" height_o="4011" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/88f2152b7ead2e3b49fb0e2408cff3e53c9e63e8ddcb9c25dc89ad93343a7ec8/IMG_1738.jpg" data-mid="248066946" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/88f2152b7ead2e3b49fb0e2408cff3e53c9e63e8ddcb9c25dc89ad93343a7ec8/IMG_1738.jpg" /> I acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation as the traditional owners of the land my research and work was conducted on. I also acknowledge the wider environments which we live in and amongst, and recognise that the decisions and actions we make today, no matter how small, will have consequences for other entities—now and into the future. mgn.j.wong@gmail.com ©2026 All rights reserved https://mgnwong.com/Creative-research Sat, 09 May 2026 05:42:43 +0000 Megan Wong https://mgnwong.com/Creative-research ALL SERVICE DESIGN CREATIVE RESEARCH ILLUSTRATIVE WORKS <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/03c888f2f393754f92dcd555f981c2778a2270eed12319ee161b940a27fbdb1f/tracing-afterlives-1.jpg" data-mid="248066952" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/03c888f2f393754f92dcd555f981c2778a2270eed12319ee161b940a27fbdb1f/tracing-afterlives-1.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f6cea5fc0f2274b4cdd6a6c64208ee7e092577d5e26d7fadfb24c2f3279b1038/AccidentalCooking_CoverImage.jpg" data-mid="248066958" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f6cea5fc0f2274b4cdd6a6c64208ee7e092577d5e26d7fadfb24c2f3279b1038/AccidentalCooking_CoverImage.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bdb57ea226fb1216afcf0483e1ac4cc587a5baee2c5598d3385e694f60a7679d/Megan-Wong-11705783-1.jpg" data-mid="248066953" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bdb57ea226fb1216afcf0483e1ac4cc587a5baee2c5598d3385e694f60a7679d/Megan-Wong-11705783-1.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/47ec8f79161fda13ebd4584a88a38c7414d7a5954af0a97913406b1734421d20/Bacteria-Cover-Photo.jpg" data-mid="248066956" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/47ec8f79161fda13ebd4584a88a38c7414d7a5954af0a97913406b1734421d20/Bacteria-Cover-Photo.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/764a1b2f0c1197943b283d283f1fb5ca43ff3460897c8d03baff79a72c8d4521/Living-Traces-Install_08.JPG" data-mid="248066954" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/764a1b2f0c1197943b283d283f1fb5ca43ff3460897c8d03baff79a72c8d4521/Living-Traces-Install_08.JPG" /> <img width="2512" height="1675" width_o="2512" height_o="1675" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/00b2fd81c202b748fba01d20e26f4d5b58e48cd5972206f86b1246788510bfc2/Commemorating_front.jpg" data-mid="248066955" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/00b2fd81c202b748fba01d20e26f4d5b58e48cd5972206f86b1246788510bfc2/Commemorating_front.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6f8cfe93546e0e818e34ba3a5d5ea55ac98f726659729aef7b0ae06a09aa520f/All-Publications.jpg" data-mid="248066957" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6f8cfe93546e0e818e34ba3a5d5ea55ac98f726659729aef7b0ae06a09aa520f/All-Publications.jpg" /> I acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation as the traditional owners of the land my research and work was conducted on. I also acknowledge the wider environments which we live in and amongst, and recognise that the decisions and actions we make today, no matter how small, will have consequences for other entities—now and into the future. mgn.j.wong@gmail.com ©2026 All rights reserved https://mgnwong.com/Illustrative-works Sat, 09 May 2026 07:20:26 +0000 Megan Wong https://mgnwong.com/Illustrative-works ALL SERVICE DESIGN CREATIVE RESEARCH ILLUSTRATIVE WORKS <img width="1754" height="2481" width_o="1754" height_o="2481" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/95745d290c6fd93fe8a4d980ce86636eda9d2241e540fc3f91a9a6d6e430b8e6/SnowedIn_2026.jpg" data-mid="249492123" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/95745d290c6fd93fe8a4d980ce86636eda9d2241e540fc3f91a9a6d6e430b8e6/SnowedIn_2026.jpg" /> <img width="818" height="1158" width_o="818" height_o="1158" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1c15fb39edb2babb5b2e9d27911d69ec506e4ad3352769dc0354818ca638c4c8/InThePot_2026.jpg" data-mid="249045211" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/818/i/1c15fb39edb2babb5b2e9d27911d69ec506e4ad3352769dc0354818ca638c4c8/InThePot_2026.jpg" /> <img width="3706" height="2472" width_o="3706" height_o="2472" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1a744bfe0a5f09dd314640a8d320ae7ac916c57efdc5e1ec08b097f772b2a219/GeorgiaBrogan2025-UTSAIR-Selects-100.jpg" data-mid="248091838" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1a744bfe0a5f09dd314640a8d320ae7ac916c57efdc5e1ec08b097f772b2a219/GeorgiaBrogan2025-UTSAIR-Selects-100.jpg" /> <img width="1158" height="1637" width_o="1158" height_o="1637" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/337bf8ed5a0dff4a4fda47036947ac978bfb933cff8479c3fe4de1bbcf9c1199/Kanangra-Boyd_2026.jpg" data-mid="248073818" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/337bf8ed5a0dff4a4fda47036947ac978bfb933cff8479c3fe4de1bbcf9c1199/Kanangra-Boyd_2026.jpg" /> <img width="1754" height="2481" width_o="1754" height_o="2481" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/899265e91b14eef1c15f321bf946774c34e48e2c706c9145f6b38a510527d903/UnderConstruction_2026.jpg" data-mid="249849978" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/899265e91b14eef1c15f321bf946774c34e48e2c706c9145f6b38a510527d903/UnderConstruction_2026.jpg" /> <img width="3300" height="4950" width_o="3300" height_o="4950" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/814d31be13db51ae1d6fe6b603e5b9c0fd694039ff7539d37592aa48fc6ce8ca/Christmas-Lunch_2024.jpg" data-mid="248073817" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/814d31be13db51ae1d6fe6b603e5b9c0fd694039ff7539d37592aa48fc6ce8ca/Christmas-Lunch_2024.jpg" /> <img width="526" height="673" width_o="526" height_o="673" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0b5d92f27bd6e9f9b03ef5c650a0d5c33bf2da2a15f2f523a91d1f013743e8f6/View-from-my-window_3_2021.jpg" data-mid="248073822" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/526/i/0b5d92f27bd6e9f9b03ef5c650a0d5c33bf2da2a15f2f523a91d1f013743e8f6/View-from-my-window_3_2021.jpg" /> <img width="526" height="673" width_o="526" height_o="673" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8bf143f2531874edce779922b856ecb084681f6aaad34047e07a1b21e4fc9091/View-from-my-window_2_2021.jpg" data-mid="248073821" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/526/i/8bf143f2531874edce779922b856ecb084681f6aaad34047e07a1b21e4fc9091/View-from-my-window_2_2021.jpg" /> <img width="1754" height="2481" width_o="1754" height_o="2481" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ad9a47ff91f9badb85c0f95366429773e3d1e8a3f71927739de7bf9bcfc1f9b5/Bonjuk_2026.jpg" data-mid="249215249" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ad9a47ff91f9badb85c0f95366429773e3d1e8a3f71927739de7bf9bcfc1f9b5/Bonjuk_2026.jpg" /> I acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation as the traditional owners of the land my research and work was conducted on. I also acknowledge the wider environments which we live in and amongst, and recognise that the decisions and actions we make today, no matter how small, will have consequences for other entities—now and into the future. mgn.j.wong@gmail.com ©2026 All rights reserved https://mgnwong.com/Tracing-Afterlives-project Sun, 08 Oct 2023 05:33:39 +0000 Megan Wong https://mgnwong.com/Tracing-Afterlives-project TRACING AFTERLIVES A collection of design-based inquiries centred around generating stories about the longevity and persistence of plastic. ︎︎︎ This website documents the cumulative efforts of a Masters of Design (Research) inquiry undertaken at the University of Technology Sydney. This was conducted by Megan Wong, and supervised by Dr Sara Oscar and Dr Zoë Sadokierski between 2019–2021. This research was supported by the Australian Government Research Training Program. This inquiry explores how to inspire ecological concern around plastic in others, and how one might go about this as a designer specifically. The experiments and thinking documented on this site are attempts over this two-year period to explore, identify and highlight potential storytelling methods designers might use for facilitating conversation and creating change in consumers. These experiments are documented in a contextual portfolio format (Sadokierski, 2019) to demonstrate how storytelling methods were identified and generated through a design-based and reflective methodology. And while this research initially aimed to highlight one strategy that could be developed to create change, a look at these experiments revealed that it was the accumulative process of making, thinking and experimenting that ultimately inspired the greatest insights and shifts in perspective. This research hence presents the collective efforts of these experiments as the final outcome of this inquiry. Using warped plastics collected from the Great Barrier Reef by ocean clean-up organisation Eco Barge Clean Seas, the following experiments present these waste plastics as evidence that plastic persists even after disposal, and as a way to highlight their indisposable nature. It draws on the arguments of theorists Jane Bennett, Claire Colebrook and Anna Tsing to generate nonhuman stories about these plastics—of their afterlives and how they exist outside of humans—in order to de-centre humans as the centre of reality and open up considerations of a world larger than humans. This seeks to stimulate ethical concern about the wider effects of plastic consumption on the world. These experiments are presented in five different categories, based on approach. Click on an approach to explore the experiments undertaken in this research. ︎ Approach One: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;PHOTOGRAPHIC STORIES ︎ Approach Two: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;MATERIAL EXPERIMENTS ︎ Approach Three:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;SPECULATIVE STORIES ︎ Approach Four: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;PARTICIPATORY METHODS ︎ FINAL WORKSHOPS ︎&nbsp;READING LIST This work is licensed under&nbsp;CC BY-NC. https://mgnwong.com/Tracing-Afterlives-reading-list Sat, 21 Oct 2023 04:01:00 +0000 Megan Wong https://mgnwong.com/Tracing-Afterlives-reading-list Reading List Barker, M. (2012). Soup: Fragmented cups [Photograph]. https://www.mandy-barker.com/soup-2 Bennett, J. (2010). Vibrant matter: A political ecology of things. Duke University Press. Bolt, B. (2007). The magic is in handling. In E. Barrett &amp; B. Bolt (Eds.), Practice a research: Approaches to creative arts enquiry (pp. 27-34). I. B. Tauris. Chillag, I. (Host). (2018-present). Everything is alive [Audio podcast]. Radiotopia.&nbsp;https://www.everythingisalive.com/ Colebrook, C. (2013). Framing the end of the species: Images without bodies. Symploke;&nbsp;Lincoln, 21(1-2), 51-63. Cooper, A. (1999). The inmates are running the asylum. Sams. Jazvac, K. (2013). Plastiglomerate [Photograph].&nbsp;http://www.kellyjazvac.com/Stones/Stones.html Jordan, C. (2009-present). Midway: Message from the gyre [Photograph].&nbsp;http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/midway/#CF000313%2018x24 Kant, I. (1952). The critique of judgement (J.C. Meredith, Trans.). Oxford University Press.&nbsp;(Original work published 1790) Martin, B., &amp; Hanington, B. (2012). Universal methods of design. Rockport Publishers. Ngai, S. (2005). Ugly feelings. Harvard University Press. Ngai, S. (2012). Our aesthetic categories: Zany, cute, interesting. Harvard University&nbsp;Press. Norris, J., Karana, E., &amp; Nimkulrat, N. (2018). Conversing with materials – how do we&nbsp;converse with materials and other beings to co-design equitably? In S. Prendeville, A.&nbsp;Durrant, N. O’Murchú, &amp; K. Leahy (Eds.), Book of DRS2018 conversations (pp. 21-28). Design Research Society. Sadokierski, Z. (2019). Critical journal/contextual portfolio: A framework for documenting and disseminating RtD as scholarly research. Proceedings of the 4th Biennial Research Through Design Conference, 19-22 March 2019, Delft and Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7855829.v1 Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books, Inc. Smith, K. (2008). How to be an explorer of the world: Portable life museum. Penguin Books. Star, S. L., &amp; Griesemer, J. R. (1989). Institutional ecology, ‘translations’ and boundary objects: Amateurs and professionals in Berkeley's Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, 1907-39. Social Studies of Science, 19(3), 387-420.&nbsp; Stoknes, P. E. (2015). What we think about when we try not to think about global warming: toward a new psychology of climate action. Chelsea Green Publishing.&nbsp;http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412963909.n137 Tharp, B. M., &amp; Tharp, S. M. (2018). Discursive design: Critical, speculative and alternative things. The MIT Press. Tsing, A. (2015). The mushroom at the end of the world: On the possibility of life in capitalist ruins. Princeton University Press. Warren, C., &amp; Campbell, M. (2014). What makes things cool? How autonomy influences perceived coolness. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(2), 543-563. https://doi.org/10.1086/676680 Wertheim, M., &amp; Wertheim, C. (2015). Crochet coral reef: A project by the Institute For Figuring. Institute For Figuring. ︎︎︎ Back to TRACING AFTERLIVES https://mgnwong.com/Approach-One-Photographic-Stories Sat, 14 Oct 2023 06:01:04 +0000 Megan Wong https://mgnwong.com/Approach-One-Photographic-Stories Approach One: Photographic Stories This approach uses the medium of photography to share and communicate the existence of the warped plastics. It uses Bennett’s question—“how, for example, would patterns of consumption change if we faced not litter, rubbish, trash, or ‘the recycling’, but an accumulating pile of lively and potentially dangerous matter?” (2010, p. viii)—to drive the intent behind this approach; to frame the warped plastics as evidence of the ‘lively’ existences of post-use plastics. Photography is used as a vehicle to present a ‘lifelike’ or ‘true-to-eye’ account of these plastics; providing ‘visual evidence’ for the longevity and liveliness of plastics through its material warping. This approach is framed around creating outcomes to disseminate to consumer audiences as a way of raising awareness and dialogue about the longevity of plastic, and thus inspiring ecological concern. In reference to psychologist Per Espen Stoknes’ argument that “people tend to disregard problems they cannot see or feel” (2015, p. 33), this approach to photography seeks to generate indisputable evidence for the indisposable nature of plastic. This approach fundamentally assumes that presenting unmanipulated, ‘true’ accounts of these warped plastics will be enough to persuade and encourage shifts in consumer perceptions about plastic. https://mgnwong.com/Approach-One-Live-Matter-1 Sat, 14 Oct 2023 06:01:08 +0000 Megan Wong https://mgnwong.com/Approach-One-Live-Matter-1 ExperimentLive Matter <img width="1134" height="1134" width_o="1134" height_o="1134" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/89107bf62c04b907ee78acf714bdc5700f203b9fb3043894483062eba9609004/figure1_livematter.jpg" data-mid="193666016" border="0" alt="FIGURE 1 Experiment: Live Matter." data-caption="FIGURE 1 Experiment: Live Matter." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/89107bf62c04b907ee78acf714bdc5700f203b9fb3043894483062eba9609004/figure1_livematter.jpg" /> Aim To photographically document the warped plastics in ways that provide visual evidence of how they exist and behave post-disposal—thereby promoting ideas that plastic waste doesn’t simply disappear because it is out of sight. &nbsp;&nbsp; Precedents This experiment uses Kelly Jazvac’s Plastiglomerate (2013) as a visual precedent. This has influenced this approach, where each piece of plastic was photographed individually in a studio environment. It has also influenced understandings that the visual ‘image’ of these warped plastics is enough to demonstrate the longevity of plastic for others. It also adopts Bennett’s theories by considering these plastics as ‘lively’ (2010), and documents the warping of these plastics to demonstrate their ability to adapt and evolve through time. <img width="1134" height="1134" width_o="1134" height_o="1134" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3aa423f7d7ee8773d2204d8f63a4f0a87f07c1cf9672a3acb649fc2987de7572/figure2_livematter.jpg" data-mid="193666017" border="0" alt="FIGURE 2Experiment: Live Matter." data-caption="FIGURE 2&lt;br&gt;Experiment: Live Matter." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3aa423f7d7ee8773d2204d8f63a4f0a87f07c1cf9672a3acb649fc2987de7572/figure2_livematter.jpg" /> <img width="1134" height="1134" width_o="1134" height_o="1134" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/69afda29a18c3d72ece294533dd50b36d38c4d03b66b930976426a1512b926fe/figure3_livematter.jpg" data-mid="193666018" border="0" alt="FIGURE 3Experiment: Live Matter." data-caption="FIGURE 3&lt;br&gt;Experiment: Live Matter." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/69afda29a18c3d72ece294533dd50b36d38c4d03b66b930976426a1512b926fe/figure3_livematter.jpg" /> <img width="992" height="992" width_o="992" height_o="992" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f2e60004945584b03b1fdbe1c358a68db63db141df448dd9544ef78c3030e1b1/figure4_livematter.jpg" data-mid="193666019" border="0" alt="FIGURE 4Experiment: Live Matter." data-caption="FIGURE 4&lt;br&gt;Experiment: Live Matter." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/992/i/f2e60004945584b03b1fdbe1c358a68db63db141df448dd9544ef78c3030e1b1/figure4_livematter.jpg" /> Methods The plastics were photographed individually in a photography studio setup. The decision to photograph them singularly was made in order to highlight how each plastic had warped in a different way. This was an attempt to make consumers see plastic as more than a consumer object, and instead engage them with the ‘lively’ (Bennett, 2010) ability of plastic to adapt and warp. The resulting photographs were intended to be used as ‘facts’ to disseminate to consumers (Figure 1, 2, 3 &amp; 4). They sought to facilitate the same astonishment, intrigue and unsettling realisations about the longevity of plastic that I felt when first encountering these plastics. &nbsp; Reflection The resulting series of photographs were stylistically too close to that of Plastiglomerate (Jazvac, 2013). This photographic style—a style similar to commercial product photography—ended up reducing the warped plastics into mere objects. My initial interpretations of these warped plastic forms was that they were visual expressions of the afterlives of plastic, and due to my focus on making them aesthetically pleasing, these photographs did not explore or highlight the intricacies of this material warping enough to make clear how plastics can adapt and behave post-use. As a result, I was sceptical whether these photographs would have much of an impact on viewers. Insights A different photographic aesthetic was needed to portray these plastics. The characteristics of their warping—the features that would best demonstrate their liveliness—also needed to be highlighted more evidently. This would require a closer inspection of each warped plastic to identify their warped features. https://mgnwong.com/Approach-One-A-Visual-Catalogue-of-Plastics Sat, 14 Oct 2023 22:45:31 +0000 Megan Wong https://mgnwong.com/Approach-One-A-Visual-Catalogue-of-Plastics ExperimentA Visual Catalogue of Plastics <img width="1203" height="1701" width_o="1203" height_o="1701" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/96522ced067d2439b9224e2f114810422f141722d173335ee2ff40cd4be18743/figure5_visualcatalogue.jpg" data-mid="193710931" border="0" alt="FIGURE 5 Experiment: A Visual Catalogue of Plastics (poster)." data-caption="FIGURE 5 Experiment: A Visual Catalogue of Plastics (poster)." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/96522ced067d2439b9224e2f114810422f141722d173335ee2ff40cd4be18743/figure5_visualcatalogue.jpg" /> <img width="1961" height="1295" width_o="1961" height_o="1295" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6a16e625d2d44d9f242582772cd058d0e422770dd887c5604ea9fc9b2ecaaeda/figure6_visualcatalogue.jpg" data-mid="193710932" border="0" alt="FIGURE 6 Experiment: A Visual Catalogue of Plastics (book)." data-caption="FIGURE 6 Experiment: A Visual Catalogue of Plastics (book)." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6a16e625d2d44d9f242582772cd058d0e422770dd887c5604ea9fc9b2ecaaeda/figure6_visualcatalogue.jpg" /> <img width="1961" height="1315" width_o="1961" height_o="1315" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/985f39c335f381aa093fbaf93c4323da8d7723d52b6e471e5609f47cf1412e1b/figure7_visualcatalogue.jpg" data-mid="193710933" border="0" alt="FIGURE 7 Experiment: A Visual Catalogue of Plastics (book)." data-caption="FIGURE 7 Experiment: A Visual Catalogue of Plastics (book)." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/985f39c335f381aa093fbaf93c4323da8d7723d52b6e471e5609f47cf1412e1b/figure7_visualcatalogue.jpg" /> Aim This experiment sought to document and display the warped materiality of the plastics in ways that made their ‘liveliness’ (Bennett, 2010) apparent. It assumed that systematically observing the plastics would reveal more engaging ways of framing and presenting them to consumers. Precedents&nbsp;&nbsp; <img width="850" height="567" width_o="850" height_o="567" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/984de363cd87f8218f7a04ff3cf0dcaf1cda700429454d71f500fcc396ace12d/figure8_ecobarge.jpg" data-mid="193710934" border="0" alt="FIGURE 8 Bags of plastic debris at the Eco Barge site." data-caption="FIGURE 8 Bags of plastic debris at the Eco Barge site." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/850/i/984de363cd87f8218f7a04ff3cf0dcaf1cda700429454d71f500fcc396ace12d/figure8_ecobarge.jpg" /> This experiment occurred after visiting the Eco Barge site and collecting more samples of warped plastics. This process of collection was incredibly manual, involving sorting through the many bags of plastic debris collected from their clean-up expeditions to find instances of warped plastics (Figure 8). This proved to be a messy and chaotic experience—set outside in tropical temperatures, surrounded by crickets, spiders and frogs who intermittently interrupted this process. The large amount of plastics collected and the chaotic experience of their collection influenced the way these plastics were approached in this experiment, which imposed systems and order back onto the plastics. While Experiment: Live Matter used photography to document the existence of post-use warped plastics as whole forms, I focused my efforts in this experiment to capture and understand how these plastics had warped, and why they were significant. This experiment also draws from the style of photography present in Mandy Barker’s Soup: Fragmented Cups (2012). Methods <img width="1087" height="827" width_o="1087" height_o="827" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ea97ae7966ef289d7fdbc57c64bf1505099488807f71a3bd4c7daa279155d4f4/figure9_cataloguedescriptions.jpg" data-mid="193710935" border="0" alt="FIGURE 9 Notes systematically detailing the warped characteristics of the plastics." data-caption="FIGURE 9 Notes systematically detailing the warped characteristics of the plastics." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ea97ae7966ef289d7fdbc57c64bf1505099488807f71a3bd4c7daa279155d4f4/figure9_cataloguedescriptions.jpg" /> To identify the material warping of these plastics, I underwent a systematic process of observation and note-taking (Figure 9). Samples were observed by eye and notable features were recorded. These descriptions were compared and a uniform language, or naming convention, was developed. The descriptions for these characteristics moved away from exact scientific or material jargon. Instead, I used language that I, as a non-scientist, was familiar with: adjectives such as ‘netted coral’ and ‘bubbly’. The plastics were photographed on a black background to move away from associations with product photography in the previous experiment. The movement of plastics on and off this darker backdrop made them shed small microplastics. This provided a ‘floating’ aesthetic to the photographs similar to Barker’s; as if they were submerged in deep sea or in space. The photographs of the plastics in this experiment were displayed comparatively in a poster format (Figure 5). I knew, however, that the poster was a limiting form; the observations I had noted down could not be included in this outcome. I thus made an accompanying book to act as a compendium of these noticeable qualities, with annotated text serving to highlight the lively qualities of the plastic (Figure 6 &amp; 7). Reflection Observing these plastics in more detail revealed the unseen landscapes that these plastics had become. This began to remove me from stereotypical consumer associations of plastic—as a staid object for human use—and opened up my imagination to realise that these plastics are entities rich with interaction and liveliness. The lens of the camera elevated this, and animated these plastics as subjects rather than objects; as things that were worthy of attention and interest. This process of observation began to shift my perspective outside of human worldviews, as it made me realise just how “entangled” (Tsing, 2015, p. viii) plastic waste can be with its environment outside of human contexts. This demonstrates that it was interacting with and handling (Bolt, 2007) the plastic which facilitated an ability to see the plastic as more than a consumer object. The way these plastics were photographed ultimately reflected how I perceived them; as beautiful in their materiality. A concern voiced by supervisors and other academics, however, questioned whether this beautification would entice consumers to want to stop consuming plastic. My approach to photography which ‘staged’ these plastics like art thus needed to be reconsidered. The way the warped characteristics of the plastics were identified in this experiment were also perhaps too subtle for a consumer viewer; it would require them to perform a detailed inspection of my outcome. Insights&nbsp; Moving forward, I had two goals; to make these hidden worlds of the plastic more obvious, and to do so in a way that treated these plastics less like aestheticised objects of art, and more like lively beings. I hypothesised that using a macro lens would address both issues, as it would be able to capture the more intricate details of these plastics, and such a close zoom would eliminate the need for aesthetic backdrops and positionings. https://mgnwong.com/Approach-One-A-Typology-of-Marine-Organisms Sat, 14 Oct 2023 22:49:56 +0000 Megan Wong https://mgnwong.com/Approach-One-A-Typology-of-Marine-Organisms ExperimentA Typology of Marine Organisms <img width="1477" height="1953" width_o="1477" height_o="1953" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/adf064ac74515463e240492a786edcc968870420eb395c799e7c1d7f5a9955a8/figure10_typologyofmarine.jpg" data-mid="193711054" border="0" alt="FIGURE 10 Experiment: A Typology of Marine Organisms." data-caption="FIGURE 10 Experiment: A Typology of Marine Organisms." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/adf064ac74515463e240492a786edcc968870420eb395c799e7c1d7f5a9955a8/figure10_typologyofmarine.jpg" /> Aim This experiment sought to highlight the often unseen ways that plastic and nature interact after disposal. It sought to communicate this phenomena as a way of promoting considerations of plastic as a material. This was executed through identifying the presence and diversity of marine growths found on the surfaces of the warped plastics. Precedents&nbsp; This experiment responded to the need for more obvious portrayals of the warped plastic from Experiment: A Visual Catalogue of Plastics. Methods <img width="1087" height="851" width_o="1087" height_o="851" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2f5a05f448ee900ef8ee6512ba4831f795e3f44ac17e2e78d5dc4893ee0e5041/figure11_marinenotes.jpg" data-mid="193711055" border="0" alt="FIGURE 11 Notes identifying the different marine growths found on the plastic." data-caption="FIGURE 11 Notes identifying the different marine growths found on the plastic." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2f5a05f448ee900ef8ee6512ba4831f795e3f44ac17e2e78d5dc4893ee0e5041/figure11_marinenotes.jpg" /> Each plastic was visually observed, and any marine growths found on its surface were noted (Figure 11). The fact that I knew little about marine organisms meant that I could not identify the growths by their scientific or biological names, nor could I discern whether similar types of growths were different stages of the same species or different growths altogether. As such, descriptions and identifications of growths were based on language I had access to; colour, shape and texture. As I became preoccupied with noticing the similarities and differences between growths, a hierarchical and categorical way of displaying and sorting the plastics was developed. The narrow gaze of the macro lens identified and captured these marine growths, and was used to visualise these categories. The outcome of this experiment (Figure 10) is referred to as a typology rather than a taxonomy as it compares and juxtaposes between formal types (colour, shape and form) rather than biological methods of internally taxonomising. Reflection Feedback for this outcome from supervisors was that it was too abstracted to be able to incite ecological thought from consumers. The use of a macro lens completely obscured that it was plastic that these growths were living on. It would require huge leaps of interpretation for consumers to move from looking at marine growths on plastic to considering the liveliness and longevity of plastic waste. This was also in part due to the structured and ordered way these growths were presented, which hid the excitement and wonder that observing these plastics brought forth. My intentions of communicating the liveliness of plastic thus became subsumed by a preoccupation with identifying and categorising the marine growths found. This reliance on methods of analysing, ordering and categorising in this experiment—methods common to scientific fields—reflected an objective approach to the representation and treatment of plastics in this research so far. This made me realise that I was caught up in finding ‘facts’ about the plastic to establish order rather than focusing on visual strategies that would excite, unsettle and draw responses from consumers. Moving away from scientific lenses of visually presenting plastic was therefore necessary. Insights The process of engaging with the marine growths did, however, introduce understandings of the plastic as ‘alive’, capable of supporting life and as entrenched within natural ecosystems. This began to shift my understandings of Bennett’s concepts of liveliness as being more than the plastic changing, and is explored further in later experiments. The reflections of this experiment also highlighted and inspired a turn towards more playful and imaginative portrayals of the plastic in order to move away from scientific and fact-based approaches.&nbsp;