“The[used masks] were absolutely disgusting. They were dirty,some had makeup on them,” said DeBris,who wears a reusable mask she found.
Only the masks near the model’s face and head hadn’t been worn,and they were found on Sydney’s eastern suburb beaches when a storm last year washed containers of medical supplies from the ship APL England overboard.
The artist’s punny pseudonym reflects her commitment to highlight the threat of plastic waste and single-use items like masks and paper cups to marine life and the environment.
Her newly finished workPandemania was photographed by formerHerald photographer Sahlan Hayes for use by the global environmental action group Only One. It is encouraging the public to sign a petition calling
Each year,the world produces 300 million tons of plastic waste – nearly the weight of the entire human population– with devastating effects for human and climate health,the group says.
A study by the University of NSW released in October found 84 per cent of rubbish collected on Australian beaches in the past 10 years was plastic.
Single-use face masks saved lives during the pandemic,but about 129 billion face masks are used globally every month – or about 3 million a minute. Many end up in the sea,according to researchers from the scientific journalFrontiers of Environmental Science&Engineering.
DeBris said she didn’t want to wash the masks because she wanted to raise “awareness that this stuff is really horrible,and what is doing to marine life is even worse. I didn’t want it to look too good.” Instead,she left them outside in the sun to air for a month.
DeBris said the dogs in the images were also a commentary on the impact of dogs on the environment and the rise of puppy farms.
She says it is possible for an individual to make a difference. When she travels,she offsets her carbon footprint by taking her own reusable coffee cup,cutlery and water bottle.
Another wearable piece by DeBris is on display in the
A guide to the environment,what’s happening to it,what’s being done about it and what it means for the future..