2007
48” h x 36” w x 2 d
Collage, ink print from a sockeye, oil paint on canvas
$5,284 CAN (Shipping within Canada and packaging included) International shipping extra.
For the first time in geological history, the evolutionary sequence is going backwards at an astounding rate. Over fishing is gradually causing a loss in productivity the world over, and the remaining large fish are on the decline. Because of this, Jellyfish are already being exploited as a substitute food source in many parts of the world. If humanity is not careful, phytoplankton may be the only living organisms left in the ocean.
The ink print in the painting was taken directly from a Fraser River Sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), and the green background at the bottom represents the upwelling of cooler water that the salmon prefer. The ochre area is surface water that has been de-oxygenated by a plankton bloom and the circular object is a simple phytoplankton called a centric diatom.
Resources:
Pauly, Dr. Daniel, Keynote Address. Are we past the point of no return in mining fish from the sea? Victoria: University of Victoria — RSC: The Academies, Feb. 21, 2007.
