Joan Hall: Sea of Heartbreak

A veteran sailor, Joan Hall understands the crisis of ocean pollution. Her stunning large-scale works of art and installations combine found or cast paper marine debris into handmade paper and explore the effects of plastic on the sea. 

For Sea of Heartbreak, Hall focuses on the increase in algae bloom and invasive algae and dying coral reefs worldwide, the result of increasing ocean temperatures. Plastic pollution has contributed in part to this devastating ecological shift. Through the creation of complex layered arrangements of paper and objects in rich colors, Hall creates sculptures that are both alluring and yet cautionary as they remind us of the peril we were in should we choose to ignore pollution.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.