Sea Turtle Sculpture Item Number: 3483/1 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Small sea turtle figure made from reclaimed plastic fishing nets ("ghost nets"), plastic twine and rope. Turtle has a white, circular head with large, round black eyes on either side. Fins are white and blue, belly made of thick grey-green rope. Curved shell is white with black, turquoise, green and pink strands woven throughout.
Created by Gutchen while teaching a workshop at MOA in March 2019. The workshop was taught by Florence Gutchen and Lynnette Griffiths, both artists from Erub Island in the Torres Strait. They are a part of a community of Erub artists who create “ghost net” sculptures to draw attention to the problem of ocean pollution and of the marine animals harmed by abandoned drift nets and fishing gear.