A light in the darkness

This is a very quick illustration that I did last week.  I am sending it as a 'thank you' to the diving team of the resort I visited recently.

It struck me that there is a real reverence for the ocean and its inhabitants in so many people. 

Death at Seaworld

This is a recent collage featuring the subject of cetaceans in captivity.

I obtained official Seaworld postcards, flags and stamps and used them with images of books and films that feature the not-so-well-known side of the captivity industry.

A fall from freedom examines how the corporate giant, Seaworld, obtained a lot of their 'stock'.

Death at Seaworld is a recently released book on just how Seaworld manages it's assets, for ultimately, that is what the captive cetaceans are.

The Seaworld products on the collage give a hint at the commercial side of what the corporate giant does.  This is balanced with the covers of the above productions showing the viewer that there is another side to the activities of any marine park.  There is also a photograph of an Orca swimming free in the ocean beside a sticker which boldly states "Shamu's Happy Harbor".

The work is surrounded by a quote from Jacques Coustea.  It says simply, No aquarium, no tank in a marine land, however spacious it may be, can begin to duplicate the conditions of the sea, and no dolphin who inhabits one of those aquariums or those marine lands can be considered normal"

Reactions to 'Fergus McIver'

Wow, this illustration has opened up a hornets nest of reactions.

I get the impression that some of the audience think I actually made up this image and thoroughly enjoy illustrating the pain and torment some animals go through at the hands of us humans.

This is what is so powerful about art.  I referenced this image, the quote and the information from newspapers.  The ironic result of putting these ingredients together is purely to make the viewer consider their opinion on jumps racing.  My only personal statement was RIP because yes, I do think it's sad that such a beautiful young horse, died in such a way.

For the record, I actually intensely dislike some of the things I'm coming across in research as part of this project.  But if I ignore them, does that make them go away?  I have felt often that the subject is too hard and it has made my decisions on final works (rather than the background illustrations) very tricky.  Who wants to look at horror (because that's what some of this stuff is) on a gallery wall? 

My final works will be nothing like the illustrations.  My conviction was correct in that regard.

When this project concludes, if I have changed even one person's behaviour towards how they act and consume and how it impacts on the other earthlings we share this planet with, then I will have succeeded.

I could take the  "sick f*%*"  comments personally but I don't.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and beliefs and I respect that. 

If you don't like an image, ask yourself why?

Coalition for the protection of Racehorses

Why do Victoria and South Australia still allow jumps racing?

Heritage Hill Public Art project and more

My work, 'Her home is in the ocean', was one of the four artworks chosen to be represented outside the historic Dandenong property, Heritage Hill.  The original will not be displayed but instead, images of sections of the work.  A prominent part is the title in Japanese script at the bottom of the right hand side of the canvas. 

I've had some dialogue with Animals Australia and I'll be using some of their campaigns as a feature in both my illustrations and the final paintings and artwork.  Thanks to Sarah Evans at Animals Australia for her help.

I'm also going to be featuring the Australian horse racing industry in my work.  This will help raise awareness about what happens in this industry.  Some of the realities of this industry are quite eye-opening and dare I say, brutal.  I can't believe that I used to think nothing of participating in sweepstakes for 'the race that stops a nation'.  Jump racing is even worse.  As a rider and lover of horses, I find it heart breaking to see such magnificent animals as mere commodities.

On the practical front, I'm experimenting with other mediums which are producing enjoyable results, particularly collage and ink.  I'll post some images at a later date.

Official Save Japan Dolphins Australia Logo

I should have posted this some time ago.  It's a sticker for the Australian chapter of Save Japan Dolphins Australia.  I designed the logo and it is based on the official SJD logo.

Why 'her home is in the ocean"

This is a 1 metre square painting in oils.  The Japanese script is the title of the painting, "her home is in the ocean"

There is a promotional video by the Earth Island Institute which features some celebrities raising awareness about the Japanese dolphin drive and slaughter that takes place every year between September and March.  The catch phrase of this video was "his home is in the ocean".

While hunting cetaceans is defined as a 'cultural' activity by some Japanese, the present day reasons for this brutal slaughter of bottlenose, Rissos and common dolphins and on occasion false killer whales, is the harvesting of young live dolphins for sale to the captivity industry.

The dolphins that are chosen for sale to the captivity industry are predominantly female.  Hence the name of this piece.

These dolphins face a life in un-natural conditions in a concrete tank which no matter it's size, cannot compete with it's natural environment.  A dolphins main sense is sound.  It uses echolocation to survive.  A dolphin living in captivity is like a human living permanently in a place where the walls are made of mirrors.  Everything is distorted.  Most dolphins in captivity only live for a fraction of the lifespan they are capable of.

A single dolphin can be sold for up to US $250,000.  This is a very lucrative business for the "fishermen".

Dolphins family groups or pods are an inherent part of their life.  These dolphins witness the brutal slaughter of their pod members.  The slaughter is not humane.  They are stabbed continuously and drowned.  Some are even still alive while they are being cut up for food.

Dolphin and whale meat contains extremely high levels of mercury.  This is a fact that the Japanese government do not advertise to their own people!   As more people become aware of this, consumption has naturally declined.  Dolphin meat is therefore ground up and used as fertiliser to grow crops.  It is also used to bulk up cattle feed allowing the mercury to continue its journey through the food chain.