Artist Statement

“This installation represents all 73 southern resident killer whales. This unique group of orca have been a small population since numbers were first recorded in 1976—fluctuating between 70 and 99 members. The delicacy of my installation echoes their fragility and highlights the value and importance of each individual within the group. This work a collection of three-dimensional drawings. They are made by hand using basic materials and simple tools. I made the orca at 1/30 scale and are simplified, leaving only the lines needed to create a recognizable form. What at first appears to be a repeating motif gives way to a varied collection of individuals. The word ‘superpod’ refers to a gathering of multiple pods. These clusters of drawings are arranged to represent the family compositions of all three pods of southern resident killer whales—J, K and L (displayed left to right). In the studio I often return to the subject of population numbers. There is something engaging in the simplicity of counting. We do it every day, but it is also a fundamental scientific practice. When a population is counted, or drawn, the individuals are acknowledged not just the total number. It is the difference between seeing a written number, cold and clinical, and seeing that same number represented one by one.”

-Natasha van Netten

 

For more info, please visit the North Van Arts Council website