LIONFIXING
2021
Outdoor video screening, Untitled Art Fair, Special Project #1, Miami Beach, Florida, 2021
Documentary about invasive lionfish and rehabilitation houses in Florida.
LIONFISHING
2020
HD video, 20 minutes, 2020
A documentary about a scuba diving derby aimed to remove invasive lionfish in Pompano Beach, FL.
Scuba diving performance, 80 minutes, Pompano Beach, FL, 2019
Lionfish are an invasive species that were introduced into Florida waters by people who released them for aquaria. Since their introduction, their population has exploded and their impact on marine biodiversity has been extremely detrimental. With no predators in the Western hemisphere, and incredibly difficult to catch, lionfish are among the most concerning realities of animal trafficking. Their proliferation is startling and their domain is expanding further due to the rising temperatures of ocean waters.
As a means to reduce the population of this voracious fish and to protect native fish, marine biologists have partnered with dive shops to organize fishing derbies. These derbies do not stop the spread of lionfish, but result in sanctuaries for native species. While competing in the South Florida Diving Headquarter’s annual Lionfish Derby, I descended a hundred feet into the Atlantic to remove lionfish.
Lionfish Drawings
2019
Chinese ink on paper, 9 x 12 inches [22.86 x 30.48 cm], 2019. Series of 28
Lionfish are an invasive species that were introduced into Florida waters by people who released them for aquaria. On average, 45% of sea life is lost when lionfish inhabit a reef. With few predators in the Western Atlantic, and with reproduction rates as high as 30,000 eggs every four days, lionfish are considered one of the worst invasive problems facing biodiversity. In the last decade, this venomous fish has spread as far north as South Carolina and as far south as Brazil, ravaging the marine life of coral reefs.
While competing in the South Florida Diving Headquarter’s annual Lionfish Derby, I descended a hundred feet into the Atlantic to remove lionfish.
POKÉMON
2019
Pokémon, 7 inch [17.78 cm] diameter, polymer with 18 lionfish venomous spines, 2019
Set of 9, edition of 1 and artist proof.
Lionfish originate in the Indo-Pacific Region, including the waters of south east Japan. These pokémon sculptures merge the mass-produced characteristics of global trade, which has resulted in the spread of invasive species, with the biological material–the 18 venomous spines–taken from the lionfish.