Artist Statement
"When you first observe the mural, you'll notice a strong water line that divides the mural into three parts, night, day, and a fantasy water scene with sea life. This form is anchored and balanced by the moon and cosmos on one side, with the sun on the opposite side. Like all things in nature, there is a balance. The sun and moon represent a balance between night and day, alpha/omega/ yin/yang male/female. These energies control our known environment, and if one is out of balance, the earth will change and suffer.
The tidal water line rushes to the top, thus bifurcating the image into two distinct images. This rising waterline represents the rising tidal changes around our coastal cities around the world. I was born and raised in South Florida, and my family comes from Cuba; I've watched our coasts erode away due to the rising tides due to climate change and warming. I used to go diving with my parents in Key West every summer, and I have vivid memories of the vibrant corals and aquatic life. Now it is just a memory because all the color is now white due to the sun burning the coral and the ocean heating up.
I rendered the coral in the mural as a memory of what I remembered from my time growing up in Florida—using bright colors to bring awareness to the vibrant past and hopeful future of change. All the aquatic life has patterns on them to represent indigenous tribes from Cuba/Central South America and northern California. These patterns are used to represent the fantasy or magic of how beautiful mother nature is and how traditionally we were more connected with nature than we are now.
You'll also notice that there is one whale in the foreground breaching the sky as a sign of hope and potential change. There are also two other whales in the distance, I believe in the power of numbers, so there are three whales total. Three is a significant number in many religions, and also, there is a harmony found in nature based on the rhythm of three. At night the observer will notice that there is a light on the left and right. I designed the mural, so the sun is the light on the left and the moon is the right. This gives the passerby a sense of the concept during the day and at night. Lastly, the cosmic night sky on the right is my vision of fantasy and hope, we look up into the night sky and wonder what the future might hold, and the lighthouse (Based on Walton Lighthouse) is a symbol of hope, a beacon for change and a light for the future."
The Focus
Ocean stewardship
