Marike Kay

The image is a postcard-sized piece of paper. On the postcard, there are origami papers glued down with images of flowers. An image of a nuclear plant is drawn with Sharpie on top, and shaded with black so it stands out from the background. The words “NO MORE NUCLEAR” are placed on top with black stickers, in all capital letters. “NO MORE” is also emphasized with shiny red stickers. There are other stickers with rainbows, doves, and words such as “peace” and “love” scattered around the piece.

For my mail art, I wanted to create an anti-nuclear piece that focused on both the negative effects of nuclearism, but also on the healing of nature. I chose the background piece because I felt their cool and natural tones evoked imagery of forests and rivers, and the flowers were a strong symbol of life. The nuclear plant is drawn in black Sharpie to represent the deep, prominent impact it has on the land. It eclipses the flowers in the back, and forces focus on the smog and imposing structures. However, the stickers of peace and love draw the focus back to nature and healing. Their vibrant colors are a stark contrast to the darkness of the plant, and they remind the viewer of what life can be like without nuclear energy. We do not need to use these plants and produce toxic waste. We can rely on natural energy, and renew our connection with the land, nature, and the world around us. The words “NO MORE NUCLEAR” are a call to action, to oppose nuclear energy. However, only “NO MORE” is emphasized. This is to place focus on the movement, rather than on nuclear power. The word “NUCLEAR” fades into the background, just as nuclear energy will. By only emphasizing “NO MORE”, the focus is on what we will not tolerate in the future, rather than what we have endured in the past. Though nuclearism has had an immense impact on our world, we can prioritize peace and nature, and stop using nuclear power.