HORRIFIC BEAUTY

Horrific Beauty, documents communal beach walks and clean-up efforts through a series of video works that examine the overwhelming presence of plastic in the natural environment. In collaboration with local communities, Phillips gathers discarded plastic along the shoreline—acts of care and stewardship that become both subject and process.

Works such as Plastic Beach and Plastic Water confront the viewer with the haunting reality of plastic pollution and its far-reaching impact on marine ecosystems. The videos offer a stark yet lyrical meditation on the consequences of the climate crisis, exposing the tension between the natural world’s beauty and the damage inflicted upon it. The works invite reflection on environmental responsibility, collective action, and the fragile balance between human consumption and ecological survival.