08.25.06
The Ocean is Black
Since 2005, Torlen has been exploring the challenges to the sea, commercial fishermen, and the ocean's fisheries, posed by human interaction and degradation of the sea. According to one study, commercial fishing will be finished in 2048. BPs Gulf of Mexico's disaster in the summer of 2010 doubtless accelerates the decline. Bluefin Tuna spawn only in two bodies of water--the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Recent monoprint projects on this topic include The Ocean is Black (TOIB), The Angry Fisherman, and Dead Zone. Each is a series of monoprints and monotypes, combining old and new technology in multiple layers-computer editing, digital printing, and traditional printmaking methods. The Ocean is Black and the other titles are part of the ongoing visual essay Sanger Fra Mor.