Photo of the day

In Clara, British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor hopes to show how all our lives are inextricably linked to the plastics crisis. He says, “We are nature and we will suffer the same consequences as the bodies of water we contaminate.” DeCaires Taylor described the creative process to us: “We spent many weeks sieving beach sand for microplastic particles. Once cleaned, they were set into a mould cast from a young girl from the Canary Islands, where the plastic had washed up.” The sculpture was photographed at various locations where significant deposits of microplastic had been found, and removed immediately afterward. “As a sculptor, I am fascinated by materials and plastic is quite an incredible material,” says deCaires Taylor. “However, single-use plastic is one of humanity’s worst creations and symbolizes our complete disconnection from the natural world. I have taken heart in how widely the campaign to raise awareness of plastic pollution has grown.”