Photos of ceramics, and article interpretation by Robert Kokenyesi, Ceramic Artist, Beachfront Pottery, Godfrey, IL, 62035, USA. If you enjoyed this post, then give me a “like” on my Facebook page. There is additional information about Beachfront Pottery on my web site.
The Published News Article
Shocking Photos Show Piles Of Dead Sharks Caught In Great Barrier Reef. The Worse Part: It Was All Legal – Sea Voice News
Recent photos that were taken earlier in the year and obtained by World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) have caused major uproar as it shows dead sharks piled waist-deep on a ship fishing the Great Barrier Reef. The sharks were caught using gillnets, a form of netting that hangs like a wall in the water column and is anchored to the ocean floor.
The article, which was published by several other news outlets as well, describes candid photos of the sharks caught and killed by gill nets off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Truly disturbing images; but what’s even more disturbing is that all this is legal. Now, there is a law or regulation that could use some legislative effort.
I had a great time snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef in 2017. I saw not a single shark during my 15 total hours in the water. The gill nets may be a reason why I didn’t see a shark.
However, sharks are not a topic of this article just because I like to see them under water. They are part of the ecosystem on the reefs and in the oceans, and depleting shark numbers can tilt the balance of the ecosystems.
Beachfront Pottery Pieces
Several years ago I made pieces in the “Unsheltered” series. The word “unsheltered” meant that ocean critters, like sharks, and whales are losing their sacred status. That sacred status for many animals appears in the Dreaming of Aborigine people. Once the Dreamer drew the dream in the soil, then the object of the dream, the sacred entity, had to be protected. The Aborigine Dreamer protected, sheltered, the sacred animal by poking the image in the sand with sticks until it became unrecognizable.
The “Unsheltered” series explored the dual nature of sharks: on one hand they are the most feared top predators in the ocean, but on the other hand they are vulnerable to environmental changes, and to the fishing methods of man.
This piece got damaged and had to be destroyed. There are 6 “shark droplet” pieces with ceramic pearls on them, and the pieces are partially covered with white glass where the crackles were enhanced by red pigment.
Inspiration for Future Ceramic Pieces
I will be restarting the “Unsheltered” series to further explore that dual nature of sharks. While I don’t have any designs yet, the Greenville Artist Guild has a future exhibit titled : “Dual Nature”, and the new “Unsheltered” pieces will be prefect submissions. Wall hangings, like the picture above, or sculptures are the most likely ways I’ll continue that exploration.