In what would probably be a headline-making museum exhibition, Walton Ford, Julian Schnabel, Jenny Holzer, Ed Ruscha, Doug Aitken, Pipilotti Rist, and Rosemarie Trockel have, instead, pooled their talents for a just cause. These leading artists have all designed reusable tote bags for Parley for the Ocean, an organization that works to reduce plastic trash affecting marine life. From fashion to tech companies, the non-profit works with creatives and leaders from disparate fields, enlisting their notoriety to increase visibility for its mission.
“Parley was founded in the heart of the art community,” says Cyrill Gutsch, founder and CEO of Parley for the Oceans. “Artists are driven by true intentions, transparent and clear in expressing their agenda. The artist is therefore the strongest messenger and perfect driver for change.”
Each artist created one or more prints for the Parley Ocean Bag, infusing their own sensibilities into an accessory that is made from roughly five plastic bottles sourced from the debris found on islands and coastlines. Now available for purchase, proceeds from the collection will support Parley for the Ocean’s efforts to rid the oceans of hazardous materials destroying the marine ecosystem. The collaboration with these heavy hitters in the art community also coincides with World Ocean Day on June 8th, a United Nations-sanctioned celebration of the largest body in the biosphere—one that accumulates an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste yearly.
