Artist’s Statement

This show is about experiencing swimming with turtles. 

My experience happened off the coast of Maui in Hawaii.  The water has a particularly silky feel and is very clear.  The turtles seem very large when you are trying to stay 4 feet away from them and they keep popping up everywhere.  They are very powerful in the water but vulnerable also.  They do not interact like a curious animal but rather keep their distance because they already know all about you. 

 

In my house we have a land turtle that can teach you about meditation if you watch her for 30 minutes. She watches people with great intensity.  But she also closes her eyes when she sleeps.  I have heard people say that the earth is balanced on the back of a turtle. And that there are turtles stacked all the way down. 

I am glad we no longer make knick knacks of turtle shell and the turtles are not made into soup in Hawaii.  I wish we could extend that to other parts of the world. 

Elizabeth Sandvig
February 2009

View photos from March 10th conversation with the artists.
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