Artist displays photos of mermaid on plastic to raise pollution awareness
A self-taught photographer used 10,000 plastic bottles and one human mermaid for a photoshoot to raise awareness about pollution caused by plastic.
After finding out that an average person uses up a shocking 10,000 plastic bottles in their life, Los Angeles-based Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong decided to alert people to the risks of this type of pollution in an artistic way.
The photographer said he used hyperrealistic imagery and creative storytelling to engage the audience and make a positive impact in the world.
To develop his project, he borrowed the plastic bottles from a waste management center, a warehouse from his friend's company and recruited a team of volunteers. He also got support from professionals including a costume designer, a makeup and hair stylist, a painter, and a model.
He completed his project, named "Mermaids Hate Plastic" in about a week.
The video of the making process has been viewed more than seven million times within four days on the artist's Facebook page.
Von Wong attempted to get support from celebrities, such as Leonardo Di Caprio to sign the pledge, hoping to spread his message more broadly.
