Red Tide East China Sea, fused plastic with stitching, 20x20cm

This project needs a bit of research. Today I woke with the idea of 'red tide'. We have more and more red tide in Maine over the summer.  We can't gather mussels or clams most of the time anymore.  One year fish washed up on the beach. We have more jelly fish.  The water is warming. I wondered whether there were any historical paintings of red tide but couldn't find anything. I did find a work auctioned at christies in Hong Kong by a young painter, Na Wei called 'The Red Tide Landscape'.  Incidence of dinoflagellate red tides in the East China Sea is on the rise too. 

I looked at scrolls from the Quing Dynasty and thought about living in Singapore. I find the result a little dystopian.

 I took this in an earlier form to Patrick and gave him a little context - 'the theme is the sea,' I said, 'where is this and what could it be about?'  After a pained look and a little grief he replied 'Japan.' I'm not sure why it should matter but for some reason I seem to think art should communicate something universal.