Images(7)

Seim Boy

Maker Jimmy Kenny Thaiday (1987)

Date2018

Object number00055283

NameSculpture

MediumGhost net (reclaimed fishing net and rope), polypropylene, rope and twine, steel frame

DimensionsOverall: 3170 × 1100 × 1400 mm, 27000 g

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased by the ANMM Foundation with the assistance of Sid Faithfull and Christine Sadler Program supporting Contemporary Indigenous Maritime Heritage in Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait

Terms

DescriptionSeim Boy (hammerhead shark) made by Erub artists from Darnley Island in the Torres Strait using ghost-net. Ghost-nets are nets discarded by fisherman at sea that continue to float, often entangling turtles, dugong and other marine animals, before washing up on the shore. In northern Australia where the problem is acute, local artists are using ghost-nets as a medium for highlighting the problem, creating stunning works of animals caught in the nets and works that reflect cultural stories and ways of life in the Torres Strait Islands.HistoryArtist Statement: "Right across the Torres Strait irwapaup (hammerhead sharks) are considered to be an important cultural symbol. In the Eastern Torres Strait Islands, it is a totem for a number of tribes. The irwapaup has also been portrayed in traditional dances with the dancers wearing either facemask or head dress representing the shark and mimic the movement of the shark for dancing performances. Large hammerheads are often seen off the northwestern side of Erub where the reef drops off quite sharply. They swim up from the deep water into shallows searching for stingrays to eat. The irwapaup uses it’s widespread vision to hunt prey and it’s mallet shaped head is covered with sensory receptors. They have a white belly and greenish colour on their backs allowing them to sneak up on their prey. Shark attacks in the Torre Strait are uncommon, as we know when to be in the water. It’s about respecting the shark and his environment. Around the Australian coast sharks are perceived as dangerous predators but the marine debris that man is creating is equally as lethal. I named this particular irwapaup Seim Boy because it is the name of the village in which I live on Erub. Sometimes a smaller irwapaup can be seen from my village, swimming along the edge of the reef." - Jimmy K Thaiday, Erub Erwer Meta Arts Centre, Erub Erwer Meta Torres Strait Islander Corporation. SignificanceUsing a cross-cultural and collaborative model Erub Arts is leading the way in large sculptural forms constructed using Ghost Net, producing woven, wrapped and twined statements about traditional and contemporary island life.