With masterful skill, San Diego Environmental Artist James Stone fused hot glass and metal into a 14-foot sculpture to raise awareness about the degradation of our oceans.
Formerly on exhibit at the Port of San Diego, “Not Seen, Not Heard, But Felt” will move to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach in August.
The sculpture depicts sea life under the thin veil of the ocean surface struggling to survive among the pollution and debris poured into the waters. Stone shows his interpretation of fish trapped in ghost nets- nets that are cut loose by fisherman, left to float in the oceans, trapping fish of all sizes never to be released.
The Aquarium, with a mission to instill a sense of wonder, respect and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants and ecosystems, will have the sculpture on display.
“It is a great way to inspire people to protect the ocean through art,” says Jeanne Brodeur, Vice President of Development at the Aquarium.
The sculpture is contracted to be on display for one year, but potentially will become a permanent exhibit.
“It’s wonderful to have it displayed where it will be shared with so many people,” Stone said. “I designed ‘Not Seen’ to make a major environmental statement; to be thought-provoking.
Ideally, Aquarium visitors will begin to think differently about what we do and how we impact the ocean and ocean life, and perhaps change their behavior to minimize that impact.”
The sculpture’s design and composition were inspired by a recent scuba diving venture the artist took off the shores of Grand Cayman Island after a 20-year hiatus. Stone uses bright colors and whimsical images boldly brought to life with mixed mediums of glass and metal.
“I was stunned to find fields of death,” Stone said. “I was appalled at the lack of fish and the destruction of the ecosystem by pollutants, contamination and the environmental changes barren of marine diversity. I came home and I began to sketch out a piece.”
Created as part of the San Diego Port’s Urban Trees Public Art Program, Stone employed many new techniques to create a look of something rusted and worn before being pulled from the ocean. The sculpture was on display in the North Embarcadero along the San Diego Bay for a year.
The sculpture, valued at $30,000, will be exhibited in the 10,000-square-foot Shark Lagoon area of the Aquarium. Out in the open, Stone hopes visitors enjoy taking it all in and getting the message about the oceans, while enjoying its beauty.
“I just want people to think,” Stone said. “I don’t want to tell them what to do. I just want them to make better decisions. Every person on the planet can make a difference with just a few good choices.”
For more information about James Stone, visit www.stoneandglass.com. For more information about the Aquarium of the Pacific, visit www.aquariumofpacific.org.
