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TrashWorks: Collages from beachtrash and vintage magazines

Elza Zijlstra

Room of a Writer - Elza Zijlstra
Room of a Writer

Artist’s Statement: I make collages of beachtrash and vintage magazines. It started during a peaceful moment at a trashy Spanish beach where I put, without thought, some pieces of plastic together. This co-incidental finding led to my project TrashWorks. I often combine the beachtrash with my other love: vintage magazines. The saltwashed colours of the beachtrash match with the warm colours of vintage magazines.

My rule is that I may not adapt the pieces of trash – I have to use it the way I find it. This forces me to think creative and experiment a lot. When I have made an artwork, I make a picture and use the plastic again in other pieces of art.

I find it important that my art tells a story and sends out an atmosphere that makes you keep watching. I strive to keep my art as simple as possible – but never easy.

I love all the pieces of plastic I gathered the past few years. Apparent useless stuff has got a lot of value to me. Furthermore, I got to know a lot about “plastic soup”: an environmental issue that deserves attention and awareness.

overphoto by Elza Zijlstra
Coverphoto
Unnamed - Elza Zijlstra
Unnamed
This is the Era of the Crab Ladies - Elza Zijlstra
This is the Era of the Crab Ladies
Shower - Elza Zijlstra
Shower
Woman with TV - Elza Zijlstra
Woman with TV
Lovin my TrashFashion - Elza Zijlstra
Lovin’ my TrashFashion
Harry wanted to travel - Elza Zijlstra
Harry wanted to travel
Father and Son fishing in Lost Landscape - Elza Zijlstra
Father and Son fishing in Lost Landscape
Essence of a flamingo - Elza Zijlstra
Essence of a flamingo
Dragon Pete loved to frighten the town - Elza Zijlstra
Dragon Pete loved to frighten the town
Deep down in the old Zaire - Elza Zijlstra
Deep down in the old Zaire
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Elza Zijlstra

Elza Zijlstra is a researcher in public health at daytime and a self-taught artist in the evenings and weekends. She makes analogue collages and stop-motion movies of materials she found at various beaches around the world and vintage magazines. Check www.trashworks.nl for more information.

Author: Elza Zijlstra Tags: collage, iu Category: Visual Art and Visual Poetry April 22, 2016

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Empty Mirror

Established in 2000 and edited by Denise Enck, Empty Mirror is an online literary magazine that publishes new work each Friday.

Each week EM features several poems each by one or two poets; reviews; critical essays; visual art; and personal essays.

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