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Creating Collective Memory

Inspiration

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Title

Inspiration

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Work dump

Date

11.15.23

Medium

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  • The front half of a man with scuba gear appears to be swimming on the bottom of the poster. Directly above him is an octopus. A kelp and sea plant forest surrounds the two figures.

    My Octopus Teacher

    Directors James Reed and Pippa Ehrlich follow the life of Craig Foster who for years has been swimming every day in the ocean at the tip of Africa. On a random swim, Craig meets a female octopus who is remarkably curious. The film is months of footage of Craig visiting the octopus's den and tracking her movements, eventually gaining her trust. Craig and the octopus create an intimate relationship, never before seen between a human and a wild animal. The film represents an individual's connection to the ocean and how so unexpectedly one thing can change your life forever, even an octopus.
  • A boy floats next to a dolphin with a prosthetic tail, reaching out to her. Both figures are suspended in a clear blue ocean with beams of white sunlight stretching out from the center surface of the ocean. The title ""Dolphin Tale"" is centered in the top middle of the poster with an outline of a dolphin with a prosthetic tale composing the T of the title. ""Inspired by the amazing true story of winter"" is centered on the bottom of the poster.

    Dolphin Tale

    Director Charles Martin Smith creates this dramatic depiction based on the true story of Winter the Dolphin. This film follows the summer of a young boy named Sawyer who finds and untangles a hurt dolphin caught in a crab trap on the beach. Sawyer and Winter make a connection throughout the film, forming a personal relationship as doctors work to make Winter a prosthetic tail to be able to swim again. The film showcases how a lonely person can find hope again by connecting with the ocean and all of its properties like a dolphin.
  • Two animated characters standing in a wave. One small female and one larger male with tattoo.

    Moana

    Directors Ron Clements and John Musker follow the life of Moana Waialiki, daughter of the chief on a dying island. A sea voyaging enthusiast, Moana takes the island's fate into her own hands and sets out on a journey to find the demigod Maui, who caused all the islands to start dying by stealing the heart of Te Fiti. There is an epic journey across the Pacific, having magical interactions with the ocean. This film is based on stories from Polynesian mythology and emphasizes the connection and life the oceans bring.
  • A Cartoon picture with many turtles, a few fish, and the words Finding Nemo, all surrounded by ocean water.

    Finding Nemo

    Director Andrew Stanton follows the life of a clownfish named Marlin who lost his son Nemo. The film moves from the Great Barrier Reef to a dentist's office in Sydney. There are adventures and run-ins with sharks, sea turtles, and jellyfish. This animated children's film symbolizes the beauty of the ocean along with the connection of family.
  • Acrylic painting by Lada Kholosho that depicts a pink sunset over a calm ocean. Teal and aqua strokes compose the bottom third of this painting.

    Beautiful Seascape

    Artwork by Lada Kholosho from Estonia portraying the pinkish beams of the sun shining over the ocean as it rises and sets. Painted with broad brushstrokes and limited blending, this painting portrays the simple beauty of the ocean. It shows how often we have to look beyond the complex to find the beauty that is simply there in front of us in nature, specifically in the ocean.
  • Using many lines and pastel colors this painting depicts a coast with grass and a walking path in front with one tree. Behind it is water and another strip of land reaching most of the way through the painting. The ground is mountainous and has rocks. The water is a blue-green and the sky is light blue with white clouds.

    View at Guernsey

    Artwork by Pierre-Auguste Renoir depicting the French island's most picturesque viewpoint overlooking the bay's rocky coastline. This scene depicts a place of pure serenity, the perfect place for a long romantic walk or a picnic with a quick dip in the water. His painting creates a sense of calm happiness which is amplified by his loose brushstrokes.
  • This dreamlike acrylic painting by Olga Astri depicts the beach in a fantastical pastel setting. Puffy, billowing white clouds with hues of purple, blue, pink, and yellow roll across the upper portion of the canvas. A pinkish sunset is hidden behind the clouds, yet its reflection can be seen reflected upon the wet sand. Aqua, glittering waves reflect the pink and oranges of the sunset while also pooling upon the beach. A singular seagull like bird appears to fly in the upper left corner of the painting. There appears to be the boulders positioned in the far background of the painting towards the right. Two figures stand on the right side of the beach near the water admiring the sunset. Multiple figures are scattered throughout the ocean as well.

    Sea of Dreams

    This piece by Olga Astri from Kazakhstan plays with the idea of an ocean in a relaxing dreamscape. The pastel colors used in this painting combined with Astri's blurred technique bring a sense of nostalgia to the viewer in a fantastical sense. Astri's skillful use of white specks upon the waves aids to the glittery nature of water which can closely be related to the sun reflecting upon a calm ocean day. The vibrant oranges, pinks, and blues of the sky mirroring upon the wet, ocean-washed, sand seamlessly capture the realistic yet ethereal view of this beach. The ideal picturesque nature of this painting is immediately noticed by the perfectly positioned seagull in the corner and the civilians admiring the sunset on the beach and in the water. This setting perfectly captures the joy, beauty, and relaxation that a culmination of ocean experiences can bring to one's imagination.
  • In this almost entirely blue painting there is an ocean with a really big wave starting to fold over, with white foam at the top of the wave.

    Sea Breeze

    Artwork by Alla Kallass depicts the great waves seen by the powerful storms in Canada, where she lives. Originally a teacher, Alla Kallass finds joy in painting the nature that inspires her. This oil painting is a seascape, focusing on one big wave and its strong crash. The ocean inspires her, its colors and shades of blue bring her happiness. The vastness and strength of the ocean during a storm are often considered an inspiring symbol of nature's power.
  • This acrylic painting by Sartika Mohomad appears to show the waves from an underwater view looking upwards in an abstract sense. Navy, blue, and whites are marbled together to mimic the movement of the ocean's water.

    Underwater

    This piece by Sartika Mohomad is an abstract piece from Indonesia, inspired by the crystal yet warped nature of water. When looking at this piece, the viewer is almost transported to the position under the water, looking up through the flip side of the water's surface up to the sky. This painting evokes feelings of nostalgia within the viewer, bringing a sense of familiarity possibly experienced during their childhood days. Mohomad draws upon these connections and employs an abstract marbled technique to create the light-warping, optically illusive movement of water from an underwater perspective. This painting not only inspires the viewer through its evocative nature but also is inspired by personal experiences and awe.
  • This acrylic painting by Nazar Tuvok shows the varying blue hues of the sky blending into the blues of the ocean with long sweeping brush strokes. Faint hints of a near sun's pinkish and purple-ish beams can be seen reflecting upon the clouds and ocean waves. In the left corner of the painting there appears to be a sandy beach.

    The Sky is Visiting the Sea

    This piece by Nazar Tuvakov is meant to portray the connection of the sky and sea as one entity. Tuvakov skillfully employs blending techniques to incorporate the sky and sea into a unified entity on the canvas, drawing upon the notion that the sky is a continuation of the sea and vice versa. Earth's water is in constant motion, transitioning between the atmosphere and the surface of our planet. In a visual sense, the atmosphere and water are once again connected when one stands at the edge of the ocean, gazing at the horizon. As the ocean follows the natural curvature of our planet, its vast blue expanse blends into the expansive sky, creating a sense of continuity. The reflection of the sky on the water's surface enhances this visual merging, emphasizing the idea of a shared space. This continuity metaphorically represents the unity and interconnectedness within nature, especially highlighting the fluid and dynamic boundaries that elements within nature possess. Tuvakov draws upon these ideals and depicts them literally on this canvas.
  • Rugged, rocky cliffs jut through the ocean and connect to a jagged cliffside that spans the left of the canvas. These cliffs are primarily various shades of warm browns and blacks to portray the crevices and peaks of each spiky rock. The ocean appears in combined splotches of dark greens, light greens, yellows, purples, whites, and blues. This helps mimic the movement of ocean waves near a rocky coastline. The ocean spans the bottom 5/6 of the canvas. The remaining 1/6 portion of the canvas at the top is painted a mute warm yellow to represent a sunset. Contrasting against the sky are blueish-purpleish clouds.

    The Rocks of Belle-Ile

    Artwork by Claude Monet otherwise known as The Savage Coast. This is one of the five paintings that Monet produced of the Port-Domois islands. Like many of Monet's works, The Rocks of Belle-Ile was inspired by his fascination with the ocean and its surroundings. Located off the coast of Brittany in the English Channel, Belle-Ile is an island known for its rugged cliffs and dramatic coastal landscapes. During the summer of 1886, Monet visited Belle-Ile and was immediately captivated by the beautiful rugged coastal landscape surrounding the island. This specific painting within the series reflects Monet's fascination with the ocean and his "desire to capture its ever-changing moods and colors." Monet's take on the coastline of Belle-Ile skillfully depicts the interplay of light and shadow on the water as the powerful waves crash into the rocky coastline. His use of vibrant blues, greens, and whites conveys the awe-inspiring vastness, strength, and beauty of the ocean. The Rocks of Belle-Ile stands as a testament to Monet's deep connection with the ocean and his ability to translate its magnificence onto canvas for viewers to experience the same tranquility and power that he witnessed.
  • A large tsunami wave, located on the left, towers over 3 long boats with civilians who have been caught in the stormy ocean. In the background amongst the waves, a small scale of the snow capped Mount Fuji stands. The sky is yellow with puffy blotchy white clouds. The wave details are defined in shades of dark blues witht he sea foam in white and light blue. The boats are tan and light brown. Civilians within the boats are wearing blue tunics and have lighter colored skin. The artist's signature is visible in the upper left-hand corner.

    The Great Wave of Kanagawa

    Artwork by Katsushika Hokusai from the series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji”. This is a Japanese style print depicting style from the Edo period of 1615-1868. The Great Wave off Kanagawa is inspired by the vast and beautiful, yet treacherous and destructive power of the ocean. It captures the awe-inspiring force of nature as the colossal tsunami wave looms over the civilians within their Marko-bune-style cargo boats. Hokusai's work is renowned for his ability to capture the movement and energy of the waves. Thus, this print reflects the importance of the ocean in Japanese culture. Japan is composed of approximately 430 inhabited islands. As a result, fishing has remained a vital source for the country's economy, transportation, livelihood, history, and culture. The ocean plays a major role in the daily lives of Japanese people and has profoundly impacted the culture's view of the ocean. It not only symbolizes a life source but also displays the resilience and strength of humanity through their ancestors in the face of natural forces.