Hippocampus
36 x 26 x 6.5cm
Jesmonite, 21.5ct Gold Leaf, Kolner Gilding size, Plywood

The Hippocampus, a mythical creature, appeared in classical sculptures and in the Middle Ages alongside other monsters. On Mappa Mundi, maps of the world, it was used to represent places which were dangerous, uncharted and unknown to Europeans. The fictitious creature helped explore and explain.  


In response to the seeming inertia in the face of the sixth mass extinction event, and the increasing likelihood of the exploitation of the deep sea, a place which remains vastly unknown, many of its inhabitants unclassified and its ecosystem not entirely understood, the hippocampus is served dead, on a golden tray.