Extinction Series
Extinction Vessel #7: Ice, like my last piece in this series, was inspired by the work of Namikawa Yasuyuki, a 19th, early 20th century Japanese cloisonné artist. The shape of this piece mimics one of Namikawa's vases. But the imagery is mine and depicts three different glaciers. I have observed glaciers both in Glacier National Park and in Alaska. When Glacier National Park was established in 1910 the park had 150 glaciers. By 1966 it had 35 glaciers. In 2015 there were only 26. Some of the remaining glaciers had been reduced by 85%. Whether or not glaciers are headed for extinction, they point to changing climate dramatic enough to affect the globe and life as we know it. Many species of plant and animal will be affected, including us. This vessel is cloisonné on copper with sterling silver rim and base, 'sugar coated' with clear enamel. It is 7" tall and 6" in diameter. Around the rim is etched this haiku:
Glaciers disappear
Right before our very eyes.
Ice becomes water.