Emma Akmakdjian’s mixed media artworks trace the troubled relationship of human and environment through material byproducts of industrial processes. Born and raised in Southern California, her early passion as a tidal pool observer led her to create art inspired by the ecological changes she witnessed in urban water runoff. Emma creates art in conversation with scientists and members of diverse community groups, such as botanists of the Hualapai Indian Tribe. Her woven sculptures combine ancestral weaving practices with found industrial materials such as nylon commercial fishing rope. Emma’s sculptures consider the symbiotic influence of society and nature. The interconnected web of life is made apparent through repurposing material run-off; pollution, plastics, and overfishing debris returned from the Living Ocean. Observations and data collections of coastal populations, development, plastics, global ocean economies, and native cultures are visualized through her art. Emma received her Bachelor of Arts from California State University Channel Islands and studied at both CSU (California State University) Florence, and L’Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy.
Anthropocene Kelp Forest 
The inspiration for Anthropocene Kelp Forest comes from conversations I have had with marine scientists regarding the preservation of marine environments encompassing the California Channel Islands. Off the coasts of these Islands are richly biodiverse ecosystems of (Macrocystis pyrifera) sea kelp. Unregulated oceans, over-fishing, and lack of Marine Protected Areas are resulting in the depletion of these once abundant kelp forests that foster a vast array of marine species. Through weaving processes applied to salvaged nylon fishing ropes, I illustrate their complex intricacies. The Anthropocene Kelp Forest investigates how the ocean is connected to ancestral navigation, human settlement, and global colonization. My choice to weave kelp sculptures is inspired by the traditional weaving practices of Chumash ancestors that lived on Santa Rosa Island for thousands of years before colonial secularization. I feel an innate connection to the meditative and meticulous method of loosely arranging cords of synthetic nylon fishing rope. The materiality of the rough, rigid, and fraying plastic rope has heightened my confliction with Ocean pollution and given me a passion for communicating environmental concern.
Channel Islands Maritime Museum | Among the 70-plus original paintings, including some of the best examples of the maritime genre on display, are seascape paintings by Dutch masters of the 17th century, works from the 18th and 19th century by English Romantic painters, a French Impressionist painting, more contemporary works, and the largest collection of museum-quality ship models on the West Coast. The more than 80 models include the Marple Models, nine exquisite, highly detailed scratch-built representations of mostly British warships and an amazing group of “bone models” carved from soup bones by French soldiers held captive during the early 19th century Napoleonic wars. Upstairs from the main exhibit areas and museum store is an Upper Deck for exhibits on Navigation, Whales, Life of a Sailor, featured temporary exhibits, art receptions, and Third Thursday lectures.
Museum windows look out over the Channel Islands Harbor’s passing sailboats and gorgeous views. The sea lions on the dock out front add tremendous character to the traffic stream. Visitors can view the art on their own or take advantage of the museum’s knowledgeable, free guides.
Get Citizensjournal.us Headlines free SUBSCRIPTION. Keep us publishing – DONATE
