JILL PRICE art projects
Where Art, Ecology and Ethics Intersect
SUBMIT TO THE REFUSARIUM: If you would like to submit a found piece of Wht-trSH to the Refusarium please read the FIELD-GUIDE PROTOCOLS below and download the SPECIMEN SHEET to complete your analysis. All contributions should be mailed to:
Attn: Dr. Jill Price of the UN/making Network
114 Esther Drive, Barrie, Ontario, L4N0V5
Community Shoreline Harvesting & Preservation Procedures: This field guide standardizes the collection, processing, and preservation of Anthropocene techno-fossils. Following these steps ensures all specimens are archivally stable and properly documented before integration into the Refusarium
Phase 1: Field Harvesting & Ethical Collection
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Phase 2: Decontamination & Processing
To transition an item from "shoreline pollution" to "archival specimen," it must be cleaned of biological matter without altering its human-made structural damage.
[ HARVEST ] ──> [ DESALINATION ] ──> [ SANITIZATION ]
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[ CATALOG ] <──[ DRIED & MOUNTED ] <────────┘
1. Desalination & Soaking
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Action: Submerge specimens in a bath of clean, room-temperature fresh water for 24 to 48 hrs.
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Purpose: Draws out deeply embedded salt crystals from ocean or brackish water. Skipping this step causes salt to expand later, fracturing brittle plastics or Styrofoam over time.
2. Gentle Mechanical Cleansing
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Action: Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently agitate mud, sand, and loose algae off the surface.
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Constraint: Do not scrub away scuffs, scratches, bite marks, or manufacturing stamps. These taphonomic markings are vital historical data.
3. Sanitization (No Chemicals)
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Action: Submerge the item in a 10% white vinegar and water solution for 30 minutes to kill remaining bacteria and mold spores.
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Constraint: Never use bleach, acetone, or harsh chemical solvents. These will dissolve or prematurely discolor the polymers, ruining the specimen's chemical integrity.
4. Controlled Desiccation (Drying)
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Action: Lay specimens flat on an unbleached towel in a well-ventilated, shaded indoor area.
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Duration: Allow 48–72 hours to dry completely. Never use hair dryers or direct sunlight, as artificial heat or UV rays will warp the plastics.
Phase 3: Archive Submission Protocol
Once dry, package the specimen to prevent cross-contamination.
1. Isolation: Place the completely dry specimen inside a clear, acid-free bag or glassine envelope.​ If fragile, create two small boxes, one smaller than the other, from recycled cardboard to utilize the double box method.
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2. Field Slip: Insert a handwritten specimen sheet or index card and in-situ photo into a mailable envelope or one of the boxes containing:
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Collector's Name
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Date and Time of harvest
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Location Name & GPS Coordinates
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Material Guess (e.g., "Rigid plastic cup lid")
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3. Submission: Deliver the isolated specimen to the Refusarium for official coding, cataloging, and herbarium-style mounting. Participants may also choose to email in-situ photographs of objects collected with their identifying data to unmakingnetwork@gmail.com.
Attn: Dr. Jill Price
UN/making Network
114 Esther Drive,
Barrie, Ontario,
Canada, L4N0V5
Specimen Criteria
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1. Color Profile: Target white, off-white, translucent, or sun-bleached synthetic items.
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Material Focus: Prioritize high-persistence materials (rigid plastics, Styrofoam, synthetic fibers, nylon ropes, glass, or plastiglomerates).
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Organic Exclusion: Do not collect items heavily colonized by living organisms (e.g., barnacles, dense algae) unless the organism has deceased and dried into the matrix.
2. Field Safety & Equipment
Gear: Thick puncture-resistant gloves, a digital camera or smartphone, and reusable mesh bags.
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Safety: Never collect medical waste, biological hazards, or pressurized containers.
3. In-Situ Documentation (Crucial Step)
Before removing the item from the shoreline, you must record its geological and geographic context:
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Take an in-situ photograph showing the object in relation to the shoreline.
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Log the exact GPS coordinates (decimal degrees format).
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Note the Stratigraphic Layer: Is it resting on top of the sand (surface), buried under gravel (sub-surface), or tangled in driftwood roots (organic matrix)?