Amsterdam artist Thirza Schaap came to Capetown in 2012, where she was struck by the vast amounts of plastic waste on the beaches. This kicked off her now renowned project Plastic Ocean

Schaap scoured the beaches looking for plastic waste that never stops washing upon the shores.  Back home, she transformed the seemingly meaningless items into the most beautiful sculptured still life objects. By photographing these sculptures and creating paradoxical images, she hopes to invoke an emotional reaction with the audience. A collision between the initial aesthetic appeal and the second glance: repulsion and the realisation that this waste leads to such tragic consequences.
 

“It bothered me that just photographing the washed-up, weathered plastic finds never managed to reflect the beauty of their colours and textures. – Thirza Schaap

Schaap hopes that her first book Plastic Ocean will create a must wider awareness when it comes to pollution and that it helps to counter the use of plastic. World-renowned trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort, who was one of the first people to report about Plastic Ocean, was happy to write the preface. 
 

The book will be available at selected bookshops by the end of April 2021 and can be pre-ordered from today via 1605 Publishers.com.