Karen Benton

My work ‘Landfill Stratigraphy’ is a statement on the environmental impact of landfill.
‘Landfill Stratigraphy’ is assembled to depict a stratigraphic column of sedimentary layers and is constructed from denim textiles sourced from recycled jeans.
‘Landfill Stratigraphy’ alludes to the layers of waste materials within a landfill site and can also be read as an abstraction of landscapes vulnerable to landfill leaching. Loose threads suggest both an unravelling of boundaries and an interconnectedness of spaces between.
Landfilling is one of the most common waste management methods employed in all countries alike, irrespective of their developmental status.
The Australian Fashion Council advises that about 227,000 tonnes of discarded clothing is sent to landfill in Australia each year with only 7,000 tonnes recycled.
Australia’s recycling rate is below that of most OECD countries, with around 40% of Australian waste being landfilled.
My work ‘Landfill Stratigraphy’ aims to highlight the need for a circular economy.