Peace Like A River

Oil on Braced Baltic Birch 32" x 34" x 2" 2018 I live an hour from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario. I visited there several times as a child, in awe of the magnificent and ominous "Killer Whales." Many years later, after seeing the 2013 documentary Blackfish, my eyes were opened to the consequences of keeping Orcas in captivity: sensory deprivation, increased aggression, and lower life expectancy. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Mammals corroborates this by asserting that the complex social lives of cetaceans in the wild cannot be recreated in captivity, where unnatural stress is placed on these animals [i]. In the biblical book of Isaiah, the imagery of a river cutting through a barren wasteland is symbolic of the eschatological hope that justice and mercy will one day reign, ushering in peace and wholeness. After reading about nations streaming to the holy mountain, I envisioned a pod of Orcas released from aquarium amusement parks, journeying down a canyon river toward their intended home. On the way they pass remnants of humankind: a hewn cave, carnage from the drought, and their ancestors' bones that await resurrection to new life. Shortly after I completed this painting, thanks to the tireless efforts of activist groups across Canada, our Senate passed the 'Free Willy' bill that bans whale and dolphin captivity in this country [ii]. Finally, these beautiful and intelligent mammals will stop being exploited for our entertainment, and live free in the oceans where they belong. Sadly, the situation is much worse for Orcas globally. While in North America the capture of wild whales and breeding programs have been phased out, still in Russia and China wild Orcas are captured for use in marine parks. This painting is a beacon of hope, but it is also a reminder that more needs to be done for whales suffering in captivity today. [i] Macdonald, ed. Princeton Encyclopedia of Mammals, 814. [ii] Bill S-203 passed in June 2019, ending the captivity of whales and dolphins.