Bridwell Library, Southern Methodist University, Dallas Texas

Fish Tales was created for the Feast/Famine exhibition put on by the Manitoba Craft Council.

Feast/Famine is a juried show exploring food, eating and food production as it relates to climate change.

Climate change is having a direct impact on the lakes and waterways in Manitoba. Warmer temperatures and more intense storms have dramatically increased invasive zebra mussel numbers which in turn impacts phytoplankton, an important food source for our fish.

In my work Fish Tales I am inviting viewers to consider the effects that zebra mussels are having on our aquatic eco-systems which will have a direct impact on the fish that we eat. Three sculptural fish books represent Walleye at varying stages of growth. The pages represent their story, the ancient past that they carry with them. One of the fish reflects the form of a Walleye plagued by circular fish leather discs in the size and numeracy of a flock of zebra mussels. As the zebra mussels take over, the pages begin to disappear, reflecting the urgency for to take action.