David Schirm (b. 1945)

Blood of the Water, ca. 2006-2008 is an oil on canvas painting that is a response to climate change and  environmental destruction. According to the artist, the work was inspired by the melting of the polar ice caps and stories of the slaughter of thousands of whales in Antarctic waters. According to these stories the blood in bays where these slaughters take place is so thick that one could almost walk on the water. The red treelike forms in the painting are representations of the whales last breath. The white shapes on the surface of the water are seagulls and other birds feeding on the blood and carrion that remains after  the whales have been killed.