Jo Atherton / Images
Plenty More Fish in the Sea (2014) - Jo Atherton
In this tapestry, woven from marine debris collected on Cornish coast, the central theme is fishing. Fish shaped lures swim through tangles of line, against a colourful backdrop of twine and fishing line. Lobster pot tags from as far away as Newfoundland, Maine and Rhode Island are included in the weaving, demonstrating the extent to which tidal currents ignore nations, boundaries and cultures when delivering marine litter to new shores.
Rather than foster a culture of blame, Joanna weaves with international objects, hinting at the need for a shared responsibility when dealing with the important environmental issue of marine litter.
She is repeatedly drawn to the Cornish coast which juts out into the North Atlantic Current, a tributary of the Gulf Stream. This coastline serves as a unique collection point for material being deposited from all over the planet and never fails to provide a thought-provoking artifact.