A skeleton is a structure that holds a body together, and is literally the “backbone” and core of the animal. To create a skeleton to represent the fish, I am using the most vulnerable part of the fish, which is never exposed during its lifetime. The use of paper to create the bones emphasizes the fragility and allows the viewer to realize the fragility of a species.
For this project, I am fabricated what appears to be fish skeletons. The skeletons are comprised of wood, wire, and tissue paper. Through the use of paper, plastic, and other recycled materials, I am creating a series of animals, which have been affected by our consumerism.
I am very interested in current environmental issues, and recycling is very important to me. The idea of a skeleton fish stems from a dead fish I found on the beaches in St. Mary’s the other week. The fish reminded me of a documentary I saw about plastic water bottles. Plastic water bottles are a major contribution to the pollution of the water. Plastic remnants can be found in large bodies of water, and in the stomachs of the fish. What I am focusing on is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and area located in the Pacific Ocean full of marine litter. More and more plastic is being found in the stomachs of animals, and causing harm to the environment and the animals themselves. Every time I see a fish carcass with plastic remnants inside, I wish the word could be spread, and I wish people would understand the impact of our actions.
In a less direct manner than Cai Guo Qiang’s “I want to believe” piece, in which he literally stuck arrows into the fabricated bodies of tigers to symbolize the endangered animal’s struggles. The fact is, unlike the tigers, fish are not being directly poached, but they suffer from something, which is a part of our daily life. Many of us consume plastic products everyday and when we fail to recycle plastic, or even buy plastic, we are not always aware of our actions.
I want people to understand the tragic beauty of the fish skeletons, and to have the effect of “Look what we have done” when they view my sculpture. The fish themselves could perhaps exist on their own, without the heavy message, but the aesthetics and the message are two things that I want to have a dialogue.
The skeleton of the fish is a very delicate object. I want the skeleton to symbolize what is left of the fish after humans have left their mark. Fish are beautiful aquatic creatures and are the life of the ocean. A sculpture of a school of fish speaks very differently than a school of skeletal fish. I want the skeletal part to be the main focus of the work. Below the fish, will be mounds of plastic bottles formed together to create a mountainous landscape out of trash to symbolize the site of the Garbage Patch.
For my piece, I originally planned to have just the skeletons, but I have incorporated actual pieces of plastic into the fish stomachs.
I want the audience to see this visual representation of what is happening right now. I want people to take notice of this current environmental issue without it being directly in front of them. I also want the audience to notice the strange and eerie beauty of the fish, and to feel the ephemeral qualities of them, because one day, there might be no trace of these fish.
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