Seaside Salvage is a solo exhibition featuring the art of Eduardo Jiménez, who was raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico but now resides in Brigantine, New Jersey.
The exhibition is an extension of the work Jiménez started during the pandemic lockdown when he began collecting washed up debris on his sunrise sojourns along the shoreline. Eduardo’s art, while fun and whimsical, is intended to bring awareness to the very serious issue of marine pollution.
Artist’s Statement
I create art from the trash I find on my daily walks along the beach and streets of my hometown in Brigantine, New Jersey. Pollution, in the form of improperly discarded trash, is my medium. My use of face masks, cigarette butts, plastic bottles, mylar balloons, etc., is intended to create awareness, discussion and perhaps bring forth solutions for coastal conservation. I am empowered to create 3-dimensional art which calls upon the viewer to think twice about dropping that cigarette butt or releasing balloons into the sky.
About the artist
Eduardo Jiménez, 59, has a BFA from the University of Michigan and is employed as a Director of Technology and Design in the Global Toothbrush Division at Colgate Palmolive.
He has always been drawn to the sand and surf; raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he currently resides on the barrier island of Brigantine, New Jersey.
In early 2020, concerned by the amount of trash he was collecting, Eduardo began to make pop-up art with each day’s haul. His seaside salvage project now boasts permanent works including commissions and juried art contest entries.
“I’m astounded by what I find every day. The cigarette butts and mylar balloons are particularly upsetting to me,” Jimenez laments. Eduardo believes that by creating art that may be uncomfortable to view, he can spread his message about coastal conservation and lessen the growing threat caused by litter.
About Camden FireWorks
Camden FireWorks opened in Camden, NJ in June of 2016. Camden FireWorks’ mission is to use art to create social change. As the only independent art gallery in Camden, New Jersey, we have featured artwork from diverse artists representing a variety of disciplines. In addition, we offer studio rentals, art workshops, and hosts exhibitions and cultural performances in our 1889 firehouse.