Marina DeBris

Lake Macquarie based artist Marina DeBris began picking up trash along beaches over 25 years ago. Her mission began when she moved from Bondi Beach, Australia to Venice Beach, CA. “In the beginning I would pick up Styrofoam cups and bring them to 7-11, but I soon realized that this wasn’t attacking the root problem. I needed a creative way to draw attention to it. The idea of making beach detritus into art began in 2009 with the realization that the waste we create 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 is to get rid of all the garbage in my garage, in a responsible way, of course.”