Mocha Dick

“They call me Ishmael.” This classic quip from Herman Melville’s timeless novel, Moby Dick, springs to mind upon the first viewing of the titanic white whale currently installed in VMFA. This iconic white whale, named Mocha Dick by artist Tristen Lowe, embodies the natural and pure world, inspirationally pitted against the cruel and careless Captain Ahab in an epic battle set on the stormy seas. Upon the reading of this novel, the reader realizes how perversely wrong the slaughtering of a creature as innocent and awe-inspiring as the white whale has become.

This particular whale is made out of a substance called "industrial" felt and is connected to a valve that keeps air continuously pumping into the enormous inflatable whale. Zippers that hold the large pieces of fabric together are cleverly guised as "scars" flowing along the sides of the whale and knobs of barnacles were fashioned onto its head for an added authenticity.