A drop of whale blood

Comment

Comment by Michael Koerner on January 6, 2019 at 9:44pm

A Drop of Whale Blood is currently being shown from Jan 7- Feb 8, 2019 at the 8th Annual National Juried Exhibition held in the Carroll Gallery at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

Comment by Resident Curator on December 28, 2018 at 10:24am

Curator’s Comments:

 

This piece came up randomly today, coinciding with news that Japan is resuming its commercial whale hunting, in defiance of an international ban.  The boldness of the graphic bloodspot/ sun on the Japanese flag contrasts with the animated characters of tiny whales and spears swimming in the blue patterned background.  There appears to be circular shaped openings within the pattern, echoing the crimson circle of the flag.  The consistency of the repeated figures in the design suggests screen printing, though the media isn’t indicated.  It is because of the cleanly printed edges, I believe, that the dripping red dot becomes an even more power focal element. I’m happy to see you posted a wider shot of the installation, so we could get a scene of scale.  The solid block wall no doubt confronts the viewer with a larger than life- but still human presence. I do hope this piece is being exhibited now. The horror of the hunt needs to be expressed with clarity to persuade more viewers we are silent bystanders.