Monterey CA Trip Continued (5 of 6)

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Monterey Continued (5 of 6)

Beautiful color combinations in the aquarium displays!

The Monterey Bay Aquarium was a must see on our destination list... I think it was for every tourist in town. But it was worth dealing with the crowds.

From touch pools scattered throughout the buildings, to exhibits with movable magnifying glasses that float over the water's surface to get a closer look...

to two story tanks which give a wonderful view of the world under water...

to installations that surround patrons in water environments...

visitors can gain an appreciation of the sea and it's creatures from just about every possible perspective. 

In a section that dealt with the threat of plastic/trash to the ocean environment, they featured the work of artists who used recycled/reclaimed plastics to create some cool, thought provoking pieces.

  Plastic bowls by Gülner Özdağlar

In the sculptures entitled Laysan Albatross (left) and Gyre (right) by Sayaka Ganz, 
you can see familiar objects like combs, glasses, hangers, plastic tableware, etc. 

The dichotomy of the sheer volume and mass of plastic in our society, and its translucent quality when light shines through it, is poignantly displayed in Katharine Harvey's To the Depths. The colors and textures are so interesting, it almost looks like one of the fish tanks in the aquarium. But ocean creatures would thrive much better without have to live with any of it.

There was lots to ponder and plenty of visual inspiration to file away for when I'm in need of a new idea. So glad we had the opportunity to make this stop.

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