Where
Corals lie
Visual Artist | Jacqui Crocetta
Exhibition | Order and Chaos
Curators | Eduarda Oliveira and Elizabeth Casqueiro
Listen to the audio of the Work
Voiceover David Warren
The Work
“where corals lie” is a mixed-media work on paper of an underwater scene. The composition includes bleached coral, which happens when corals expel the symbiotic algae living within their tissues, causing their bright colors to turn white. Coral bleaching is triggered by environmental stressors such as rising ocean temperatures.
Featured on the left, and running from top to bottom, is gloss-coated, teal-colored seaweed. In the background, from the top of the page to about halfway down, are undulating horizontal curves in various shades of blue. On top of that layer are small circles made using starched cotton, covered with plastic. These circles look like stylized bubbles. The background layer for the bottom half of the composition is covered with washes of blues and peach. In the bottom right quadrant of the composition, there are three corals made from white painted sandpaper. Tiny white dots are painted around the corals, symbolizing the expulsion of algae. Below the coral are three stones covered with highly-textured glass bead gel. The background under the stones is textured with cheesecloth.
The Artist
Jacqui Crocetta is a Washington, DC area artist. In recent years, her paintings and installations have been inspired by the ocean. In these works, Crocetta pays tribute to the awe and wonder she feels for nature, while responding to environmental concerns. The mindset of interconnectedness is the foundation of her practice. Crocetta is the recipient of several awards and grants, and her work is in private and public collections.
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