As a powerful presence Remnant, reminds us of the problem of commercial overfishing, by-catch and whale entanglement. Buffeted by wind and surf, much of its beauty is the result of natural forces, plus there is mystique of its odyssey from ocean to beach. Intrigued with what unbearable beauty we might find in this mess of netting; inspired by jazz and the rhythm of poetry, we present this undulating form as a site for contemplation.
When one thinks about the journey this massive net has been on — lost from a fishing trawler in the Pacific Ocean, washed ashore on to Kehoe Beach then to the gallery here at Santa Clara University to see this "mess" presented in a formal setting gives one pause.
When you think of fishing you might harken back to a pole, a hook, with a worm dropped in a stream. Fond memories of catching and eating or catching and releasing. When you think of commercial fishing you probably think of giant nets swooping up a school of fish. You’re not wrong! Over 80% of fish are caught via nets. Industrial fishing nets with lengths up to 7 miles, catch and kill unintended species— bycatch fish, sea birds, turtles, and whales—en masse. In addition to removing large numbers of fish, many large-scale fishing practices also destroy aquatic habitat by dredging or seafloor trawling that scoops up everything that will be used along with much that will be discarded. This is extraction on a monumental scale. Fishing gear can be even more destructive when it becomes lost or forgotten in the water because it continues to “ghost fish” ensnaring animals that aren't being harvested for use.
These snarls AKA “Ghost Nets” are pernicious entanglements of lost commercial fishing rope, monofilament, Birds, fish, and marine mammals get caught in this silent floating debris —trapped in what is called “ghost fishing.”
Since 1999 Richard Lang and Judith Selby Lang, have been collecting plastic from just 1,000 years of Kehoe Beach and along the way they have gathered huge quantities of ropes and netting. Most people don’t know about ghost nets because they have never seen one because most are lost at sea. But they do wash ashore and over the years they have amassed quite a pile of “inventory” in their barn and barn yard.
Many thanks to our colleague and friend, beachcomber, Richard James for retrieving this trawl net from the beach.
We are thrilled to be exhibiting our work with such an illustrious group of artists including: Brandon Anderton, Tess Felix, Peter Hassen, Liz Hickok, Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle, Hughen/Starkweather, Luc Janssens, Josh Keyes, Laura Arminda Kingsley, Richard Lang, Judith Selby Lang, Courtney Mattison, Allison Watkins and Angela Willetts
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