Appreciating Our Oceans

Hayley Boore

Appreciating Our Oceans

2026

Air Dry Clay, Acrylic Paint, Glaze 

Through this series, I created three pottery pieces with the purpose of drawing attention to the beauty of the natural world and its creatures, specifically those inhabiting the ocean, and how their environment is declining. I created a whale shark mug, a sand dollar plate, and a seashell spoon. To create my mug, I used a pinch pot method and scored to attach the handles. I utilized engraving on my plate and spoon as well. Together these pieces fit together and turn an everyday set of objects into a statement. Human made products contribute greatly to the pollution problem making our oceans suffer. The juxtaposition between the natural word and a human made artificial tool such as my pottery set brings attention to how the natural world is suffering and creatures being commodified through product caricature, with the "real thing" being forgotten and left unprotected. Whale shark global populations have declined by more than 50% over the last 75 years, something you do not think of when picking up cute whale shark merchandise made from the same materials that pollute their homes.