THIRZA SCHAAP
The intention of Plastic Ocean is to create awareness around pollution and to try to prevent the use of plastic. Walking on the beach, Schaap finds plastic that has washed ashore and once at home transforms it into beautiful sculptures. By photographing these sculptures, she tries to evoke an emotional response from the public by creating a con- tradiction. A clash between the initial aesthe- tic appeal and after a second look: repulsion and the realization of the tragedy that waste causes.
“As a child I would walk over beaches and through fields and forests to collect beautiful shells, shim- mering stones, feathers and funnily shaped bran- ches. Much later, when spending more time on the beaches all over the world, I found myself do- ing the same thing. Only to discover, that I started filling my pockets with trash instead of treasure. Plastic from the Ocean. Colourful and beautiful in its own tragic way. Plastic Ocean is a project which I started to create awareness around pol- lution, to try and prevent (or at least reduce) the use of plastic.
In making sculptures out of the objects I find, I try to evoke an emotional response from my audien- ce by creating a contradiction. A clash between attraction and repulsion. Initially there’s an aest- hetic appeal, but after a second look: the reali- sation of the immense tragedy caused by plastic waste. Our beaches are covered in plastic confetti and there really is nothing to celebrate.”
Thirza Schaap
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