The Vertical Migration

It is the largest migration on earth happening every day while we sleep. These creatures, beautiful in their transparency swim thousands of feet from the ocean's depth to feed. It is called the Vertical Migration. They are male and female, with wings and horns, deep and shallow sea dwellers which possess a grace that I never will. This creature, the size of my pinkie finger is just big enough to hold all of my metaphors.

I nicknamed this one Herbie, the hermaphroditic Sea Angel of the Arctic. They are special in more ways than I can name. It navigates its way upward through the polar seas with what appears to be a wound in the center of its chest. Upon closer observation you realize that the Sea Angel navigates the gauntlet of predators with its heart exposed, like a signal flare within. Navigating the earth with nothing to hide.



Opening scene from yet to be titled video by Anna Peach, filmed in Newfoundland, Canada, June 2007.

Northern Lights Below the Sea

underwater video Stills from my plankton pursuits in NFLD

It is really hard to try to explain why I can be captivated with the bottom end of the food chain. I have done my best to focus on life in the Grand Banks, and hope my artwork can illuminate some issues for a better future there. The bottom of the food chain is our future as well. It is hard to imagine that all of the red that you see above may be the saving grace for life on this planet. Scientists believe that plankton may offset global warming. My other friend, the sea butterfly is a indicator as well, but they face possible extinction in under 50 years due to the rising acidity in the ocean. They will no longer be able to produce their minute shells. Clione Limacina, my Arctic dwelling Naked Sea Butterfly/Sea Angel that is featured in my video would loose the lesser sea butterfly as a food source; the Baleen whale in turn would loose the Sea Angel/Naked Sea Butterfly. So basically we are screwed. Some scientists believe that if we can artificially increase numbers of plankton, we can turn around the food chain and save our own tails.

If you look at the three clear white shapes in the bottom image, they are Pleurobrachia pileus, or the Sea Gooseberry that have arrived on the scene to dine on the glut of surging plankton.

OK enough for the Easter Sunday Science lesson...

Planktos

Still of Sea Butterfly from video titled, Planktos by Anna Peach, 2007



Planktos, the wanderer set afloat in sea rainbows
invisible on the surface, but seen through submerged eyes.
Predators in their midst, disguised as water.
Child drawn monsters in white crayon on infinite blue.
Circulating hemispheres mimicking the wind
Life’s foundation floating above solid ground.
Krill blizzards excited energy in ephemeral space,
making pink haze in red tides.
Jellyfish, thimble sized berries engaged in drifting warfare
showing casualties in their transparency.