EVE BISHOp

The Whale draws inspiration from the work of Annie Cooper Boyd, an artist who lived and worked in my hometown of Sag Harbor in the 1800s. Using Cooper Boyd's painting of a harpooned whale on a local beach as a base, this mural explores humankind's relationship with these giant creatures. I used Photoshop to layer Cooper Boyd's painting with images my family took of me at age five when we went to see a beached whale in Southampton. I also added a layer of one of Cooper Boyd’s handwritten letters and photos I took of the location of the painting in the present day. This piece examines how the location of the painting has changed over time and how our community’s relationship with whales and the natural environment has also shifted.