Whale, Broken Net

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00” x 00” x 00”

Once upon a time the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, hung a giant Blue Whale from the ceiling of their exhibit hall. It was probably among the first of the “blockbuster” exhibits, predating the Air and Space Museum by at least a decade. The Museum strove to give it a naturalistic feeling. For me, I’m never sure what the right “form” is for the whale. I see in the whale a mix of monumentality, movement, and the ship-like form. Those qualities alone, though, have gained it entry into the American Psyche, and that becomes interesting as well. When making one, it is very understandable to me as a ship: it has an architecture containing elements of a keel, rudder, smooth decks, and powerful locomotion. I find it interesting, too, that the factual identity of the Sperm Whale seems a mystery to the book illustrators of the world—based on what I’ve seen, no two renderings look very alike. It is a very malleable subject. Materials: Pine, booth 2006, 2007, redwood fence from Fallbrook, plywood shelving scrap, shirt hanger, roof copper, cookie tin, redwood exhibit shelving 2003, blue-painted booth shelf (pine) 2005, computer monitor housing.

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