To the viewers of my artwork, I’d like for everyone to take a first glance, and see a coral reef. Then, I want the viewers to look closer, and see that there’s cardboard and paper and plastic integrated into the painting. This piece was designed to draw attention to the fact that garbage does not belong in the oceans, and even if you don’t see it at first, it is there. My goal is for viewers to enjoy my piece as an aesthetic, but to also gain a new awareness of the sheer amount of trash in our oceans. We must hold ourselves and everyone around us accountable for ocean pollution, because regardless of our age, we are the only ones with the power to stop it.
