A UK-based Guyanese, who returned to Guyana to take part in the Mashramani celebrations, has embarked on a beach-cleaning activity.
Following walks along the seawall Christopher Goodridge, a designer, saw a way to turn the garbage on the beach into life-sized art and at the same time scenically enhance the beach.
Admitting that he has always enjoyed creating something beautiful from trash, Goodridge has embarked on a voluntary act in which he saw the opportunity for art.
Goodridge said he used his initiative to teach people not to litter and hopes that he has given them an idea of what they can do with their litter.
Goodridge and a team of volunteers have formed the ‘Black Hands Project’ and have been removing litter from the seawall at Pere Street, Kitty to Sheriff Street for nearly a week now.
It was while picking up old tyres, driftwood, plastic bottles and other garbage that Goodridge saw art in what others merely saw as trash. After picking up the litter and burying dead dogs, he said, he and his team added a little paint to some of the tyres and driftwood and began strategically placing and arranging them on the beach.
The beach then went from clean to visually pleasing and as one volunteer stated, “it is much better now”. While the unwanted rubbish was bagged and sent off to the dumpsite, those that Goodridge saw as art remain on the beach as he plans to make life-sized works with them.
Goodridge and his team also head out every Sunday and hand out plastic bags to people who hang out along the seawall to encourage proper disposal of their garbage. The team also hands out flyers.
According to Goodridge, this is a long-term project he hopes to see through and hopes that the consistent works of his team will encourage people think about ways to dispose of their litter properly or do like he is and make it art.
