A Satirical Take on Plastic Pollution

I played with the expression “straight from the horse’s mouth,” signifying reliable information from an authoritative source. In my concept, the fact that “two garbage trucks’ worth of plastic enter the oceans every minute” comes straight from the fish’s mouth. Simultaneously, the hand gripping the plastic handle, with the handle protruding from the fish’s mouth, creates a satirical twist that alarm on the absurdity of discovering plastic in our seafood.

A Hard Truth to Swallow

I drew inspiration from the metaphorical use of “swallowing one’s words,” which typically signifies retracting or taking back something said due to regret or realizing it was incorrect. In this poster, I’m questioning if viewers can “swallow” the fact that by 2050, the ocean will contain more plastic than fish. The imagery confronts viewers with a jarring reality: a fish with a plastic bag intertwining with its guts.

Process Work

I transformed my dining table into a studio, used a wooden stick to position plastic in the fish's mouth, later removed it in Photoshop. I used off-white plastic bags to blend with the fish guts, carefully positioning them for realism. The textured kitchen sink background was an unplanned but effective detail, adding depth to the composition.