American expedition artist Danielle Eubank is attempting to bring attention to the plight of our oceans via her latest project: One Artist Five Oceans.
A recent hot topic of debate is climate change. Does it exist? What steps can we take to reduce our global impact? According to a recent study conducted by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics Chinese Academy of Science, human impact led to 2017 being the hottest recorded year. Analyses indicated this was a sign of a long term warming trend.
The United Nations Environmental program has indicated that annually $8 billion dollars of damage is done to marine ecosystems because of human plastic waste. Marine pollution consists of 80 percent plastic waste which is more than 8 million tons a year. This relates to one full garbage truck dumping per minute.ย ย At this rate by the year 2050 oceans will hold more plastic than fish.
The issue of Marine pollution and climate change is such a pressing issue that the UN has created a worldwide initiative to combat it. The initiative #CleanSeas hopes to end marine litter by targeting microplastics used in the cosmetic industry and eliminating single use plastics such as straws by 2022. The very real problem of climate change and marine pollution is causing private citizens to find creative ways to push for recognition.ย
American expedition artist Danielle Eubank is attempting to bring attention to the plight of our oceans via her latest project: One Artist Five Oceans. The award winning abstract oil painter is traveling to the Artic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans to illustrate the beauty of our globeโs seas and the impact pollution and climate change has had on them.
Eubanks sees herself as an environmentalist and has been a lover of water since her youth in California. Eubankโs has stated that she is using her art as a preferred means to show the public the damaging after effects pollution has on marine ecosystems. While visiting the Artic Ocean from Svalbard, Norway, in October 2018, she was struck by the visual of melting polar ice caps.
The rate that the oceans ice is melting is startling to her. Her favorite ocean to paint was the Indian Ocean with its beautiful variations of golden and aqua shaded hues. She wants her works to depict the beauty of the bodies of water aside the damages pollution is causing.ย
During Eubanks lifetime she has extensively traveled the Earths waters. She has painted 200 bodies of water in 22 countries. Her final location for her current project will be the Antarctic Circle. In February 2019 she will be travelling to the Southern Ocean.
Through out her project, Eubanks has travelled in old fashioned sea vessels to pay homage to ancient travelers. She points that ancient expeditioners did not have the luxury of photography. Instead, when explorers would travel, they would rely on self-produced sketches or on-board artists to capture their discoveries.
This historical ambience adds to the message that our oceans have been around for centuries and must be protected for future generations. Following her last stop along the Southern Ocean, an exhibition of her works will be available for viewing in May 2019 at Kwan Fong Gallery in Thousand Oaks, CA.ย
Silly greens.