Plastic Sea, Perfect Storm

This is the latest chapter in Rob Hornstra and Arnold van Bruggen 's ongoing project 'The Europeans'. Multi-layered in texts and images the 256 page book descends into the agriculture dominated south-eastern region of Spain where the infamous Plastic Sea is located. The plastic Sea is bordered by the real sea and dotted with houses, rocks, and villages. Farmers speed through narrow streets in large pickups, while black Africans, standing upright on electric scooters, glide past—working here or looking for work. A lost tourist camper in search of a beach, a slogan on a wall protesting racism, an election poster for the far right. Plastic waste is all around. No one seems to notice it, pause for a moment, or try to pull it from the bushes, trees, or traffic signs. Plastic has become the symptom of a world in crisis, in the rat race to the lowest prices on supermarket shelves.

The book uses a layered edit comprised of photographs, portraits and stories to shed light on the circumstances in this area and industry and its impact on the local environment and communities. Inspired by supermarket advertising folders the design uses 100% cyan, magenta and yellow elements to give the edit its visual rhythm. To emphasize the theme of the Plastic Sea, the book consists of a combination of materials/paper. Photographs and stories printed on soft Emotion Touch paper are mixed with sections printed in overlay on yellow glossy paper. Parts of the edit and images are printed in full magenta combined with full colour photography. The book features an eight page soft cover with full bleed cyan prints, bound by hand with an open spine. Finally a glossy exterior dust jacket, where CMYK form a whole, ties everything together.