For this competition entry into the Dark Depths contest, I wanted to use this platform to briefly touch on deep-sea marine pollution, with many research studies finding parts of plastic and other non-biodegradable matter found in the sediments of the sea bed. I took my color palette inspiration from a haunting image I found within an article by the Smithsonian, which features both the muted tones of the Mariana trench lit by artificial light with the main focus being a plastic bag, sitting as a direct dichotomy to the untouched nature around it.

This photograph helped me to construct a narrative from which to derive my skin. I knew I wanted to create a statuesque figure of the untouched terrain of the deep-sea, yet I also wanted to show an unearthly corruption to her. Mainly I achieved this through the color palette, with even the brightest gray framing her face still muddied, yet it is the eye color that retains a bright bioluminescent flare to highlight this difference. Her curving "Tail" is supposed to resemble the curls of a plant or the scratches of an animal as they wind around her, similar to the chest wrap. My hope is that this corrupted mermaid I've made will at least inspire people to look into these issues or get inspiration themselves for projects based on real-world events.

Here is the link for the article I reference. I highly recommend looking at it:
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-shows-deepest-parts-ocean-are-polluted-plastic-180969049/