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Immersion
24" X 36" oil on canvas Available from the studio For information ... Contact us The visualization of a key moment in the second book in my Sirens series. The story point ... Sarah hides in the kelp. It's the place to be when you don't want to be seen. Unfortunately Sara's not the only one who knows it. Kelp is a vital refuge for many forms of life on the Pacific Coast. In my youth I worked for the Marine Resources Branch of the Ministry of Environment. That experience plays loudly in my Sirens project in both good and bad ways. I took part in a scientific research project called the Kelp Harvesting Program, a study to determine the effects of harvesting kelp and it's impact on the local ecosystem. It was determined that granting licences to harvest kelp was too great an impact and the Idea was shelved. Back in the office, I painted a poster labeled 'The Kelp Based Food Web', which described all the marine life that depends on the kelp forest. It was the first professional job I ever did as an artist. Writing has long been a integral part of Mark Heine's creative process. In the pursuit of his original artistic voice, Mark's writing has evolved to become the driving force behind his work and has led him to envision a world of his own creation. Sirens, the culmination of 44 years exploration, is inspired by the sea-nymphs, made famous in Homer's Odyssey. These underwater visions of mythological muse are rooted in the moments of an ongoing and developing fictional narrative. This complex narrative, involving human evolution and our natural environment, is the unifying conceptual thread that ties these surreal visions. |
