Marina DeBris

Sydney based artist Marina DeBris began picking up trash along Los Angeles’ beaches and creeks over a dozen years. Her mission began when she moved from Bondi Beach to the Westside of Los Angeles. “In the beginning 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 whole idea of making beach detritus into art began in 2009 with the realization that the waste we create always comes back to haunt us."

Trained as a graphic designer at Rhode Island School of Design, Marina’s interest in the intersection of art and the environment has been a constant. “My first goal is to provoke viewers 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.”