Descension

Feb 2-10, 6–10 PM

Materials: Acrylic paint, glow in the dark paint, fairy lights, UV light source, EL wire, tulle, lace, silk, muslin, cheesecloth, hope, despair

Inspiration: Wale falls, death, decay, the light in ourselves others see in our darkest moments

A whale fall is when a whale sinks to the bottom of the ocean. This area of the ocean is dark, and silent, and mostly empty. There are two stories in a whale fall. One is the whale’s. After a long and large life, it dies. Cold water slows decomposition and allows it to sink rather than float. Its enormous body is a beacon on the ocean floor. The other story is of the decomposers — those creatures who find sustenance in death. They live a life of scarcity, scavenging crumbs in the lightless vastness of the deep ocean. When a whale falls, they gather and thrive. From life, death; From death, life.

Thank you to my mom for teaching me how to sew, and thank you to you for looking at my art.

Artist

Sarah Jakubowski