"...the true use of the whale?" (Thoreau)
Whale sculpture on the beach in Halls Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada
A reminder that the health of the planet’s oceans is something we have direct impact on. Contemplate production, consumerism and the waste it produces. While it is easy to become overwhelmed to the point of paralysis, we can all have a positive impact just by becoming more aware of the material products we purchase and use. That is my intent to make a small contribution to this awareness through a sculptural piece created from litter found on beaches.
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Halls Harbour, Nova Scotia |
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Sperm and Humpback whales continue to be the common theme in my work for fifteen years now. I’ve explored the gruesome industry of whaling, especially that during the ‘whaling days’ of the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. The form of these mammals is very physically pleasing to me as a sculptor. I never tire of carving their forms. In 2015 I was invited to observe a necropsy of a dwarf sperm whale that beached on McNabb’s Island in Halifax harbor. After four hours of watching marine biology students from Dalhousie University and a Pathologist from PEI, it was determined that the plastic grocery bag extracted from this male’s stomach was the cause of death. This juvenile was underweight and had ingested a large amount of seaweed which was unusual and suggested was due to the mammal being slowly suffocated. I had always heard of plastics being ingested by marine animals (not exclusively marine) but to see the evidence first hand it was no longer cliché.
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While I’ve no solution to the hazards caused by the over production of plastics, I believe we can make a difference in the amount of litter created beginning at the individual level, by creating literal imaginary; a whale filled with litter. The whale sculpture intent is to remind us what we already know but juxtaposed against the natural beauty of a beach. Awareness is an important step for change, but it can fall short if there is no call for action. Fortunately I found 'Litterati', not a clandestine group but a free easy to use app that engages families and individuals to join a 'global movement that's "crowdsource-cleaning" the planet one piece of litter at a time.' Join the quest and download it here If you've not yet delved into the world of TED Talks, do it, it's a great thing to binge on. It was Jeff Kirschner's talk where I learned about Litterati, it's his creation although his inspiration came from his 4 year old daughter. You can watch his TED talk here
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A big thank you to metal worker and fellow artist Al Simm for taking my primitive spray painted to-scale whale pattern and creating this beautiful armature. Honestly this is a sculpture in itself and then I covered it in beach garbage.
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