Purrmaid
Illustration by Molly Gregory
Proposed Installation for the 2025 Black Rock City Honoraria
Idea
This mythical Purrmaid (half cat / half mermaid) is inspired by the art of El Gato Gomez and the vintage Kit-Cat clock.
She embodies the mysteries of the ocean...specifically, the fantastical kelp forests.
Philosophy
I’m newish to the San Francisco Bay Area and started following the efforts to restore the health of the kelp forests and eelgrass beds along the Pacific Coast in California.
Kelp and eelgrass absorb climate-warming greenhouse gasses, improve water quality, and help protect coastlines from increasingly frequent and severe storms.
We’ve damaged a lot of our wetlands, marshes and mudflats through dredging, tideland filling and pollution, directly impacting the health of the ocean - and us!
Taking steps to improve and protect coastal habitat like kelp forests and estuaries will prevent the loss of these essential ecosystems.
I want to draw attention to this massive and crucial endeavor and engage with participants about small things they can do to help.
We are part of a living community and are all connected whether we feel it or not. Our choices and actions ripple out into our surroundings.
I've been obsessed with creating art about environmental issues and I love making cat art. Win/Win!
Description
Half cat and half mermaid, the Purrmaid appears to float, tail swinging freely, glowing from within and boldly outlined with neon LEDs. Her upper body is a sweet-faced kitty wearing saltwater pearls and a clamshell bra, playing a ukulele. Her eyes mimic the motion of her tail like the vintage Kit-Cat clocks.
She’s suspended from bent, twisted and wavy metal rods and tubing that simulate the curves and swirls of kelp forests and eelgrass beds.
A flying Bat Ray, resting on structural supports of arched kelp stipes, houses solar panels on its back. Water-effects lighting ripples down from the belly of the ray.
Realistic and eclectic sea creatures and bubbles dot the entire support structure.
Everything sits on a base decorated to look like a magical ocean floor. A treasure chest hides important electronics while the batteries are tucked away underneath a secret panel in the base.
