Squid Sculpture Item Number: 3483/3 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Small squid figure made from reclaimed plastic fishing nets. It has a long grey and turquoise mantle, with two light green and white fins along the sides. Edges of fins bordered with turquoise and orange strands. Head is white and turquoise with large, black circular eyes on either side. Eyes lined with dark blue and dark yellow twine. Overtop the head and mantle are curvilinear motifs, done in dark yellow plastic. Has a round, open orange and white mouth. Extending from the base of the head, surrounding the mouth, are eight arms and two tentacles. Tentacles are tipped with orange diamond shapes. All appendages are white with turquoise, dark blue, green and orange braided throughout.
Created by Griffiths while teaching a workshop at MOA in March 2019. The workshop was taught by Griffiths and Florence Gutchen, 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.