Statement of Perspective

Every time I walk past a piece of plastic on the ground, something twists in my chest. I think about where it will end up and what creature might swallow it without understanding the danger. That feeling is what pushed me to create this piece. I kept picturing sea turtles drifting through water that should feel safe and instead becoming trapped in something we throw away without a second thought.

As I painted, I felt my anger growing. It is a heavy kind of anger, the kind that comes from knowing the problem is everywhere. The plastic rings in the painting are a symbol of what I keep seeing in real life, and the turtle’s shell represents the beauty that is constantly placed at risk. I spent hours studying the patterns on the shell because I wanted the viewer to see what is being damaged. Once you notice that detail, the loss becomes harder to ignore.

The red letters came from the frustration I feel when people shrug off this issue. I hear excuses and jokes, yet the consequences fall on animals who never had a choice. I wanted the words to sound like a challenge, something that confronts the viewer directly.

Finishing this piece felt like releasing a message I had been carrying for a long time. I want people to feel the urgency that I feel and to understand that every piece of plastic has a destination, even when we pretend it disappears.