Art 1 | Spring 2017

Eco-Friendly Flip Flops

Fashion Production Today
The balance of cost, profit, and
product quality
Different laws in certain countries -
lower wage requirements, less
environmental and safety regulations
Compared to 15 years ago, we buy
60% more clothes and keep them
half as long
New synthetic fibers like polyester
create more waste

Sources
Forbes - Who Makes the Clothes on Your Back? http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/25/style-clothes-foreign-forbeslife-cx_ls_outsourcing08_0529offshore.html
Triple Pundit - The High Environmental Cost of Fast Fashion http://www.triplepundit.com/2016/12/high-environmental-cost-fast-fashion/
Image: http://www.npr.org/2013/03/11/174013774/in-trendy-world-of-fast-fashion-styles-arent-made-to-last
The Chain of Production
Raw material production
Textile (fabric) manufacturing
& dyeing
Clothing production
Shipping
Retail
Use by customer
Disposal

Sources
EcoWatch - Fast Fashion is the Second Dirtiest Industry in the World http://www.ecowatch.com/fast-fashion-is-the-second-dirtiest-industry-in-the-world-next-to-big--1882083445.html
Image Source: https://www.trustedclothes.com/blog/2016/02/26/forget-fast-fashion-slow-fashion-industrys-sustainable-efforts/
The Impact of Fashion on the Environment
Pesticides used in farming cotton
Natural resources used to farm and raise
animals for leather & wool
Fossil fuels used in producing synthetic fabrics
and shipping clothing
Carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide produced by
shipping clothing and creating synthetic fabrics
Water pollution from chemicals and dyes
Water waste in the dyeing process
Waste created by thrown away clothes
Pollution created by thrown away clothes
Sources
Triple Pundit - The High Environmental Cost of Fast Fashion http://www.triplepundit.com/2016/12/high-environmental-cost-fast-fashion/
AlterNet - Its the Second Dirtiest Thing in the World, and Youre Wearing It http://www.alternet.org/environment/its-second-dirtiest-thing-world-and-youre-wearing-it
Image: http://www.ecouterre.com/textile-waste-could-help-reinforce-earthquake-damaged-buildings/
Where our Clothes are Made

Above: Clothing factory in Bangladesh

http://now.tufts.edu/articles/dark-side-cheap-clothing
Right: Apparel Imports to the United States
https://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/where-the-u-s-gets-its-clothing-one-year-after-t
he-bangladesh-factory-collapse/
Source: http://blog.geogarage.com/2015_02_08_archive.html
China
Chinas textile
industry produces
close to 2.5 billion
tons of wastewater
and other pollutants
each year.

Source: Ecouterre,
http://www.ecouterre.com/chinese-textile-pollu
ters-regularly-violate-environmental-regulation
s-says-report/water-pollution-china-1/
 China
The textile
industry is also
responsible for an
estimated 30% of
the air pollution in
China.

Source: Ecouterre,
http://www.ecouterre.com/chinese-tex
tile-polluters-regularly-violate-environ
mental-regulations-says-report/water-
pollution-china-1/
Bangladesh
Bangladeshs
major industry
is textile
production. As
a result, the
countrys water
is highly
polluted and
dangerous.

Source:
https://visura.co/user/Probal/view/
pollution-in-bangladesh
Bangladesh

Source:
https://visura.co/user/
Probal/view/pollution-i
n-bangladesh
Indonesia

The Citarum
River in
Indonesia is the
worlds most
polluted river,
largely due to
textile factory
runoff.
Source:
http://strangesounds.org/2014/03/the-c
itarum-river-in-indonesia-is-so-polluted
-that-you-cant-even-see-the-water-pho
tos-and-video.html
Indonesia

Though the river is

full of dangerous
chemicals, people
have no choice but
to use its water for
drinking, cooking,
and bathing

Source: www.reddit.com/r/urbanhell
Environmental Artist - Gabriel Orozco
Born in Veracruz, Mexico
Works in Mexico City, Paris, and
New York City
Studied art in Mexico City and
Madrid
Known for his photography and his
installation sculptures
Brings uncommon, outside
materials into the art gallery space
Exposes pollution in natural areas
by collecting and exhibiting debris
Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/23/gabriel-orozco-asterisms-_n_2095301.html
Gabriel Orozco, Asterisms, 2012

Gabriel Orozco, Sandstars, 2012

Gabriel Orozco, Asterisms, 2012
Gabriel Orozco, Asterisms, 2012-2013
Project - Eco-Friendly Flip Flops
Build a pair of flip flops from
recycled materials
Create a design based on an
environmental concern
Your design should incorporate
the entire foot bed of the shoe
Your design must involve color
Shoe Parts
Foot bed
Toe strap
Sole
Lesson Source: SchoolArts Magazine, Summer 2016
Current Environmental Concerns
Acid Rain Overpopulation
Deforestation Depletion of natural
Global Warming resources
Pollution Ocean acidification
Water Pollution - Urban Sprawl
Rivers & Lakes Waste Disposal
Water Pollution - Recycling
Ocean Genetically modified
Air Pollution crops (GMOs)
Fossil Fuel Animal extinction &
Consumption endangered species
Wildfires Flooding
Drought
Project - Eco-Friendly Flip Flops
1. Research, brainstorm ideas, make a
sketch
2. Trace a flip-flop or the sole of your
own shoe on cardboard, twice, and
cut out. This will be your foot bed.
3. Mark spot for toe strap center and
sides
4. Draw and paint design
5. Add and embellish toe strap
6. Layer and glue corrugated
cardboard below footbed to make
sole
7. Write artists statement
Grading Criteria
Good work habits & participation
Shoes are neatly cut and assembled
All shoe parts are attached securely
Used mixed media (paint, pens,
markers, etc) to add an
environmental message
Message is creative and unique
Written artists statement discussing
environmental message