Oceans - The Ultimate Power
Writing Assignment Oct 11, 2023:
Design and describe an exhibition whose theme is the ‘Ocean’.
Oceans - The Ultimate Power
Oceans are the origin of all life on earth, but also hold the power to destroy it all.
In my exhibition, to illustrate this power, I have selected works representing the mythologies of ancient great floods recorded by different world cultures; depicting the power of the ocean; and the current threat of global warming induced sea rise.
Humanity has always known that the ocean can be threatening (although, it was attributed to angry mythological beings.) We have no power to control it, but we can harm it through our actions. But ultimately the ocean will prevail.
Inart we have recorded the knowledge of the power of the ocean, illustrating our history and legends. Stories of The Great Flood of antiquity permeate all world cultures and date back to the Bronze Age, and likely are recording verbal history going back to the Stone Age and the end of the last Ice Age (c. 115,000 to c. 11,700 years ago) where water levels rose as the ice receded.
Around the world, settlements and cities are being discovered after being submerged for millennia. Thought to only be legends, these remnants of ancient civilizations show us clearly what we can expect in the not too distant future.
Close to home is Doggerland which once connected the British Isles to Europe, but which now lies at the bottom of the North Sea, submerged by rising sea levels 8,000-10,000 years ago.
Works in the exhibition depicting these ancient legends:
Matsya Avatar of Vishnu Uttar Pradesh, India, c. 1870. Anonymous, V & A Museum.
Matsya-avatara of Lord Vishnu pulls Manu's boat after having defeated the demon illustrates the Hindu mythology. In many cultures dragons were blamed for floods.
Noah's Ark from the Zubdat al-Tawarikh in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul, dedicated to Sultan Murad III in 1583.
Painters of Sultan Murad III - Zubdat-al Tawarikh (Illustrated manuscript). The paintings in this manuscript were miniatures.
The Deluge, by Francis Danby,
1840. Oil on canvas. Tate Gallery.
The Deluge depicts the biblical story of the Great Flood.
R. C. Armour - Armour, R. C.
North American Indian Fairy Tales Folklore and Legends. London: Gibbons &
Co., 1905. Page 70.
Manabozho in the tree above the flood illustrating the Ojibwe legend of Manabozho and the Muskrat.
Many artists have depicted the power of the ocean. One of the most famous considered to be one of the most reproduced artworks in the world, is…
The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, Katsushika Hokusai, 1831. Okiyo-e (woodblock print), 25.7 cm × 37.9 cm (10.1 in × 14.9 in). In the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
There are three prints of this work in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection - this one shows a pink or reddish sky which has completely faded from almost all of other known surviving copies.
The wave in this woodcut is often described as being a tsunami. The size of the wave in comparison to the small boats and men in them is of such a threatening and monstrous scale that the power of the ocean is readily apparent and to be respected.
Source for above image: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa
And the final work in this exhibit is a contemporary work by Bill Russell who is a Marin County, California artist. He has a degree from Parsons School of Design and was an Adjunct Professor at the California School of the Arts.
The Deluge (detail), Bill Russell, 36” x 36”, acrylic on canvas, 2020.
“The Deluge is an apocalyptic vision that builds upon my interest in human-influenced ecology, which is bringing discord to our planet.” Bill Russell
This painting shows where we are most likely headed with the melting of the ice caps and global sea level rise.
Source: Artists and Climate Change, https://artistsandclimatechange.com/2021/03/05/about-the-deluge-my-painting-process/
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