TRAWLER
John DeFaro
From artsouthflorida.wordpress.com / 03. 02. 2012 :
Combining environmental concerns with visual art, John DeFaro draws attention to the devastation created by "ghost nets"; fisherman's nets that have been lost or discarded in the ocean. These nets when left to drift ultimately entangle sea life and even the occasional diver causing injury or death. The project addresses this issue by gathering natural materials from the local landscape for the site-specific installation.
The viewer enters a dim room where the seedpods from the Royal Poinciana trees create an undulating path leading toward a large white globe that appears to be floating as it glows brightly from under a fisherman's nets.
Like many artists who fill a gallery with found objects, be it construction materials, broken pottery, or domestic detritus, DeFaro creates a sense of anxiousness. Trawler has the presence of an earthwork brought into a gallery setting, it's natural materials strewn across the floor and ghostly ball resisting the fishermen's net set an ominous mood.
Two wall sculptures created from the same Poinciana seedpods are decorative additions, incorporating both natural and synthetic materials. They serve to reinforce the commitment of the artist to resolving the struggle between man and his environment.
The artist is also exhibiting two small graphite drawings "Corona de Guggenheim" and "Who is Nesting?" These tightly penciled drawings incorporate the same natural materials found in the installation. The delicate rendering of these works draws you in evoking a sense of pathos and beauty.
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