ENGS002 #006 : The Sea Down-Under

Shipwrecks and the notion that mermaids have caused some of them have always been fascinating to me. As a mystery-lover, I do what I can to know how these notions were formed and how they have become more or less influential in these modern times where almost everything can be explained.

For this entry/challenge/homework, we were given two photos/artworks to choose to write about, and I chose an artwork by David Wyatt:

Before I decided on my topic, I asked myself, "What do you see?" Well, there's the obvious: jellyfish floating around, a few people by the entrance of the shipwreck, the rays of light from above and of course, the wreckage itself.

Another striking detail about this artwork is the fact that if this is really an underwater wreck, those people by the entrance should be having a hard time keeping their feet on the ground. Though an argument about its being in a cave of some sort may also be valid for a few reasons, the floating jellyfish contradict it.

But no one's really interested in what they see. Most people long to know what is going on behind the scenes. As for this image, I wanted to cook up a story about the goings-on inside the shipwreck - if there are bodies, gold, hints of its past grandeur, and most importantly, if there are creatures who have made it their fortress. However, the story I have in mind isn't short, and it would probably take me a week just to edit the first two chapters.

So, I just made a drawing to explain my thoughts on what lurks inside the ship.

Yes. Mermaids are so cliché. But what can you do about it? It was the first creature that popped into my head when I saw the the shipwreck, and the presence of those people by the entrance inspired her pose and placement. I've always thought of mermaids as confident and beautiful creatures of the sea, but this time, I wanted to contradict it somehow. How awesome would it be to know that mermaids (or "mer-people" to be less gender-biased) were actually afraid of humans?

Now that I mention fear, is it true that what we fear the most is what we actually long to learn more about? Take the mermaids for example. If it is true that they are feared by sailors, would our interest in them lessen if it was vice-versa? Would we want to know about mermaids if they were afraid of us? How about sharks? Would we really be interested in placing them on the cover of magazines (like The National Geographic) if we weren't concerned enough about what they could do to us?

Going back to the artwork, I can think of a few more things to point out, but doing so would lead me into a longer post - and that is plainly going against my plans for this challenge. :)

Until next time, dear readers.