mi playa, su playa 4'x6'

Mi Playa, Su Playa is a play off the common expression, ‘mi casa, su casa’ or ‘my house is your house’. When said, it implies pride in home and generosity to offer home to another who would respect and treat it like their own. The ownership, title, deed, etc., of the house itself is not important. The sentiment refers to the heart of the home, the love and care for place, the extension of that love to a guest, and the reciprocal respect and grace of the guest.

In the painting, ‘mi playa, su playa’ or ‘my beach is your beach’ I want to emphasize that sentiment. Upon the beaches where I live and where I have traveled, I see a sad and pervasive trend of visitors to the beautiful shores who derive great pleasure from their expeirence. They spend the day eating, bathing, playing, swimming, etc., and then depart, leaving a wreck of debris in their wake- Styrofoam coolers, aluminum grill pans, plastic cups, cans, and much more. Do these people treat their own homes like this? Would they be happy if a visiting guest did? If everyone who enjoyed the beach treated the beach like their own, would their respect, care, and stewardship of it change for the better? That is my hope. If we all can treat every natural place we visit as our home, if ‘my beach is your beach’ then maybe attitudes can change. Maybe greater respect can cultivate stewardship, care, and love for the place that brings so much joy.

‘mi playa, su playa’ is 4 feet tall by 6 feet long set within a 3” deep shadow frame. It is painted upon foam insulation board that was leftover from a construction project. Beach trash used includes:- plastic bottle caps- black garbage bags- dog poop bags (unused!)- bungee cord- rubber tubing- lobster trap ID bands- fishing rope- lobster trap bait bags- asphalt shingle- flip flop- traffic cone- helium balloon- ice bag- beach ball- brillo pad- bubble wrap- fishing net- Amazon package- plastic cup- yarn- foam padding- coffee bag