Ocean artist Soleil Heimlich draws inspiration from dark tide of plastics off Margaret River coastWarren HatelySouth Western TimesFri, 27 June 2025 3:13AMEmail Warren Hately
A South West artist who incorporates marine debris into her work is encouraging beachgoers to take some rubbish home with them as a reminder of the region’s precious coastline.
Margaret River-based, Austrian-born artist Soleil Heimlich became so concerned about the mounting waste problem on Capes beaches, she started working it into her art.
Driven by “the pain of witnessing the overwhelming plastic pollution that kills millions of marine animals every year” Heimlich turned to art.
“Instead of dwelling in sorrow, I chose to be motivated by it,” she said.
“By creating with the debris, I ensure that even after collecting it from the beach, it won’t end up polluting our landfills.
“In more than five years of working with marine debris, I have sorted through hundreds of kilos of plastic and witnessed a shocking amount of bite marks on it.
“That made me realise how many animals must have been harmed by ingesting the plastic before people picked it up.
“Often, the plastic breaks down into tiny pieces just by the force of my hands, which means it has been floating around in our oceans for decades.”
Heimlich’s concerns were echoed by a range of conservation regulars including the youth-led Margaret River Future Council and Nature Conservation Margaret River Region.
Outgoing Nature Conservation boss Drew McKenzie backed Heimlich’s plea for residents to cut down on waste and take home any plastics found while visiting the beach.
“We urge everyone in the community to refuse, reduce, reuse or recycle plastic, and always choose more eco-friendly or compostable materials when they are available,” he told the Times.
“Plastic that ends up in landfill can last for hundreds of years and break down into a huge number of microplastic particles, so every piece of plastic we refuse is a win for our local environment.”
Heimlich told the Times she experienced a degree of frustration at the lack of awareness from some beach-lovers who called the region home.
“I still get frustrated sometimes when surfing in Gracetown, Lefties Way, or even Contos, and realising that so many people walk to or from the surf without picking any plastic up,” she said.
“When I talk with people about it, they often say that they haven’t seen any, but there is always some, especially in winter.”
Residents who wanted to help could come prepared with a bag to take a few pieces of rubbish with them, the artist said.
“I feel that people who spend so much time on the beach can make the biggest difference because it’s more about everyone doing a little bit consistently,” Heimlich said.
“I really believe that a lot of little changes can make big difference.”
The Tangaroa Blue Beach Clean-Up is on again this October and registrations opened earlier this month via tangaroablue.com
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