Fisherman’s Nightmare

Went for a walk today along the rocks of Clencairn near Muizenburg, Cape Town. Finding bits and pieces of cut fishing line along the way. Along my travels I have found that fishermen are generally messy, leaving empty boxes, hook packets, reels and spent line. I find this infuriating, as these are the guys who should have the most respect for the ocean and the gifts that it gives. So I devised a plan to make an artwork that would scare the most stubborn of fisherman - The chaos knot!





I collected all this line with 2 km of coastline; shocking! I think I will keep adding to this knot as the years go by. What is amazing to me is that when the line has been caught in the oceans turbulence for a period of time, it twists and turns in the most impossible ways. The line also somehow attracts other line, I've seen this with rope too, plastic seems drawn to itself. Some of these chaotic balls have caught other micro plastic pieces in their loops - interesting me thinks. I've also found many micro- organisms living in these things, amazing how life holds on and moves with the tide.