Plastic Ocean
It is the colours of Thirza Schaap’s images that first attract the eye: a soft pastel spectrum of baby blues, bubblegum pinks and minty greens. Abstracted plants and blooms are awash with bleached out, dreamy hues â reminiscent of endless summer days. But all is not what it seems. Looking a little closer, we realise that the images show collections of plastic debris â bottles, toothbrushes, lighters and disposable cutlery that the photographer has re-assembled as captivating sculptures.
Dutch-born Schaap, who is based between Amsterdam and Cape Town, has spent the past eight years collecting trash she finds on the beaches of her adopted hometown. Where others trawl for treasure or pretty shells, Schaap sees potential beauty in the faded colours and tatty textures of washed-up waste. Initially, she shared her finds on Facebook, calling each one her âcatch of the day.â The project evolved after she started to take the rubbish home with her; she pla