21 May

"Farmed Salmon"

"Farmed Salmon" by Cindy Shake 
for the Wild Salmon on Parade

After receiving comments on the virtues of FRESH, wild Alaska Salmon, I had to post a sculpture I made a few years ago for the Wild Salmon on Parade, here in Anchorage. My entry was titled "Farmed Salmon." This was totally inspired after eating  some store bought salmon one winter I naively thought was REAL salmon. The fillet's were beautiful in color, mushy in texture and tasted like how a fish tank smells! I was totally grossed out. "Farmed Salmon" was created using one of the King Salmon taxidermy molds distributed to selected, participating artists. I then used legs from a Thrift store rocking horse (again, deconstruction took place when Gus was out of the shop...). My hubby came to my rescue with his construction skills, patience and finesse in helping me attach the legs to the body (pre drilling, and using sheetrock screws) to the fragile fish mold. I used plumbers putty to sculpt the rooster comb and fill in the area around where the legs attached, and finish sanded. The whole sculpture had to be outdoor safe and weather proof for display on a free standing display stand that eventually was auctioned for charity. I used a nice coat of outdoor, sign painters enamel for the finish and sealer.

4 comments:

Linda Starr said...

Hi Cindy, your farmed fish sculpture is truly brilliant, amazing, and wonderful. I guess if you take the natural out of nature, you get mush.

I have a photo collage/assembledge in mind to do about the "happy California cows" every time I drive by one of the dairies around here, but I would probably be run out of the State as the dairy industry is BIG business - if it festers long enough it will come out.

cindy shake said...

Hi Linda, thank you. I could totally understand the sensitivity about the Dairy folks. Fortunately farmed fish was a safe topic to poke fun at and most of our commercial fishing friends are against farmed salmon as well. I generally avoid controversy, I'm not very brave when it comes to "making a statement!" ...though I sure have a lot of ideas floating in my head!!

cookingwithgas said...

Mark and I really enjoy what comes out of your head! ( does that sound strange.....)
Love the fish!

cindy shake said...

Thanks for the post Meredith! I will COMPLETELY take that as a compliment :o) But as a Mom and wife of a high school teacher & coach, I must admit, I have to "screen" most of what I want to create. I promised myself and my husband that as soon as the youngest is out of the house... look out - well maybe I'll be brave enough someday to REALLY create what I'm thinking :o))