{"product_id":"yeah-baby-1","title":"Yeah Baby","description":"\u003cp\u003eYeah Baby\u003cbr\u003eMixed Media, Resin and Mica\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eMore than a decade ago I painted a humpback whale breaching off the coast of New South Wales and called the painting \u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eYeah Baby\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e. At the time I had been seeing so many whales from the beaches around Narrawallee that I felt compelled to paint them. That work marked the beginning of my move towards environmental subject matter and a growing concern for the protection of our oceans and marine life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThis sculpture returns to the same subject more than ten years later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWhales have remained a recurring presence in my work because they embody both wonder and vulnerability. They are among the oldest living creatures on our planet, yet their populations can be devastated by human activity. Through my paintings and sculptures I hope to encourage a deeper appreciation of these extraordinary animals and the need for their protection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAlthough inspired by a real humpback whale, \u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eYeah Baby\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e is not intended as a scientific illustration. I am interested in the emotional experience of encountering a whale: the sudden sense of awe when a creature of such immense size and age emerges from the sea. The sculpture attempts to capture that moment of energy and exhilaration as the whale breaches between ocean and sky.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAs I worked on this piece, I became aware that it felt less like creating a new subject and more like continuing a conversation that began with the original painting. The black and white forms of the humpback have been part of my visual language for many years. In a sense, this sculpture feels as though the whale has stepped out of the canvas and into three dimensions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe history of art is filled with animals that carry meanings beyond their physical form. I have always admired artists such as Brâncuși and Barbara Hepworth, who transformed natural forms into something elemental and timeless. My aim with \u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eYeah Baby\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e is similar: not simply to depict a whale, but to evoke its presence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eFor me, \u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eYeah Baby\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e is both a celebration of one of the ocean’s most magnificent creatures and a reminder of our responsibility to protect the natural world that sustains us.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e© Stephanie Fuller (Burns)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Stephanie Fuller Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41161729245256,"sku":null,"price":490.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0277\/9312\/9577\/files\/IMG-4544.png?v=1781626773","url":"https:\/\/stephaniefullergallery.com\/products\/yeah-baby-1","provider":"Stephanie Fuller Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}