Dorothy Rissman

Much to the chagrin of her Wallingford neighbors, Dorothy Rissman began dumpster diving at Dick’s. Her frequent visits resulting in servers announcing over loud speaker, “The trash lady is here again!” Unfazed by the mockery, she foraged for weeks until she accumulated enough Dick’s Deluxe burger wrappers to sew a jacket. The garment now on display, Hair Shirt, stitches together her conflicting identity as meat consumer and environmentalist. And she’s not alone—how many of us claim we wanna save the world and actually do our part? (BTW, what’s the carbon footprint of your $200 Patagonia sweater made from old six-pack rings?) Her show “Confluence: Man and Nature” (through May 24) reflects on our consumer appetites and careless consumption habits. Rissman recycles waste to deliver a an eco-political message, and perhaps, manufacture her own atonement. Fetherston Gallery, 818 E. Pike St., 322-9440. www.fetherstongallery.com. Free. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. ERIKA HOBART

April 21-May 24, 11 a.m., 2008