Marina DeBris
"Housing Crisis"
Made from straws and plastic found on the beach, this piece is a statement about how plentiful plastic pollution is in the marine environment.
"Aquarium of the Pacific Gyre" is a photomontage of what an aquarium of the the future might look like. All the elements in the tank were found washed up on the beach.
"Aquarium of the Pacific Gyre" is a photomontage of what an aquarium of the the future might look like. All the elements in the tank were found washed up on the beach.
"Aquarium of the Pacific Gyre" is a photomontage of what an aquarium of the the future might look like. All the elements in the tank were found washed up on the beach.
"Aquarium of the Pacific Gyre" is a photomontage of what an aquarium of the the future might look like. All the elements in the tank were found washed up on the beach.
"We've Got You Covered" is a statement about the BP oil spill.
"Polyps" is made of washed up styrofoam cups and Jack in the Box Characters. The title refers to how toxic it is to the environment.
"Not So Merry Go Round" is made of children's beach toys found washed up on the beach. The horse was found on the street.
"White Trash" is part of a collection of wearable art I call "Beach Couture; A Haut Mess". All of these were created entirely out of washed up trash or trash found on the street.
"Siren" is part of a collection of wearable art I call "Beach Couture; A Haut Mess". All of these were created entirely out of washed up trash or trash found on the street.
"Crustacea" is part of a collection of wearable art I call "Beach Couture; A Haut Mess". All of these were created entirely out of washed up trash or trash found on the street.
"Cuidado" is part of a collection of wearable art I call "Beach Couture; A Haut Mess". All of these were created entirely out of washed up trash or trash found on the street.
"The Takeaway Queen" is part of a collection of wearable art I call "Beach Couture; A Haut Mess". All of these were created entirely out of washed up trash or trash found on the street.
"Castaway" is part of a collection of wearable art I call "Beach Couture; A Haut Mess". All of these were created entirely out of washed up trash or trash found on the street.
I have been picking up trash along Los Angeles beaches for over 14 years. My mission began when I moved from Bondi Beach, Australia to Los Angeles. Initially, I would just pick up stacks of Styrofoam cups and bring them to the local 7-11, but I soon realized that this wasn’t really attacking the root problem. I needed a creative way to draw attention to it. The idea of making beach detritus into art started 4 years ago from the realization that the waste we create always comes back to haunt us. With this work, I am hoping to dramatize in a playful way, some of the problems our waste creates. I use humor to startle viewers into taking a closer look at things we usually ignore. The goal is to encourage people to rethink their use of disposables and provoke them into thinking about the consequences of our habits and how we can change them. My second goal is to get rid of all the garbage in my garage – in a responsible way, of course!