Since the early 1980s, internationally known, Chicago-based artist Dan Peterman (b 1960) has explored recycling systems, reusing discarded materials in an effort to reveal how humans interact with both the natural world and their technological surroundings. Dan Peterman: Plastic Economies presented the artist in his first solo exhibition in a major museum in the United States. Bringing ecological mindfulness to his work, Peterman—known in Chicago for Accessories to an Event (plaza) (1998), an installation of enormous recycled plastic and wooden seating palettes in the MCA plaza—created four works including a greenhouse that served as a "carbon bank" and Recent Recipes, an arrangement of tables and shelves presenting various foodstuffs for the wholesale market.

This three-volume exhibition catalogue provides an illustrated history of Peterman’s works and projects, including an interview with the artist; a vivid documentation of Peterman’s in-progress and completed works for Plastic Economies, accompanied by two illuminating essays on his work; and the third segment offers a detailed look at the preparatory work involved in launching the public art project Standard Kiosk (Chicago) on the MCA plaza, undertaken in conjunction with the Chicago Park District. Eighty-four color and 125 black-and-white illustrations. Includes exhibition history and select bibliography.

Forewords by Robert Fitzpatrick and Timothy J. Mitchell. Essays by Raimar Stange, Gregory Sholette, and Lynne Warren. Interview by Daniel S. Wang. 92 pages, MCA Chicago and University of Illinois Press, 2004.

Curated by Lynne Warren, the exhibition Plastic Economies was presented at the MCA June 26–September 12, 2004. The public art project Standard Kiosk (Chicago) was presented June–October, 2004. Learn more.