Many of us have been to the ocean and found ourselves completely humbled and in awe of this vast, magical place. There’s a sadness in knowing something is wrong and the ocean is struggling, but we also take pleasure in the beauty of it, and celebrate the creatures that dwell there. I wanted to explore that dichotomy in my piece. I stumbled on the idea of a procession, which can be both a funeral or a celebratory parade. So, depending on the viewer’s mood or outlook, they may see a sadly deceased blue whale being led through the ocean by a number of amazing creatures, from the sea turtle to the giant squid. The whale is surrounded by elements of its demise, from the jellyfish-resembling plastic bag to the fishing nets. Or, conversely, they may see a blue whale playfully swimming upside down with all the other creatures swimming alongside, teeming with life. Perhaps the plastics and nets are symbols of a time before humans gained the wisdom we need to take care of our environment, and the animals are swimming away from them as their numbers bounce back in a utopic future. The Blue Whale is a poignant centerpiece to this print as it represents this dichotomy right down to the fact that it’s endangered by human-caused threats, while at the same time representing a small sliver of hope, being one of the at-risk species that new data suggests is just beginning to increase in numbers.

Neal Williams