I'm very upset

[krazymom]

In this morning's local paper there is an article on the front page that makes me so mad...

There is a local artist that made a sculpture with bettas in it. It is on display at the new Mesa Arts Center. Get this...he put one betta in each of five light bulbs (regular size) and he has them on a chandelier with led lights lighting them up. He said he unscrews the bulbs every three days to feed and change the water. These fish are nose to tail touching the sides!!! It is so sad, they can't even swim at all.

He said everyone that sees it says it's cruel (DUH!!!!!) but he says that "sometimes life is cruel" 'Pent Epiphany' is the title and it symbolizes human ideas. "Ideas are alive and beautiful-like the fish-and sometimes people get trapped within their ideas."

I think he's trapped inside his STUPID idea! This guy even teaches five classes a week at the studio, Great.

 

[Fluff]

It's a shame that bettas are considered such disposable fish. But, at least he is getting some not so good feedback about his twisted idea.

 

[fishyrican]

Agreed. Unfortunately, sometimes the "artists" feed off of any reaction, negative or otherwise, because they feel the resulting discussion validates the display.

 

[FawnN]

I guess he is one that thinks bad publicity is better then none. What a jerk!!

I hope he zaps him self one of these days changing the water.

 

[Meredith]

Poor fish!

 

[krap101]

i find it very creative... but still. he should also know about the welfare of beings being an artist

 

[QTOFFER]

Had he stuffed kittens into screw-top mason jars, he'd have been strung up for animal cruelty....so he chose to use fish instead. He could have made the same point by placing a small live plant, a cut flower, a bird feather, or a dried butterfly in each light bulb.

 

[revhtree]

So sad.....

 

[Bearfan]

Had he stuffed kittens into screw-top mason jars

Y'All do some weird cannin' down der, all momma be cannin' is green beans and damaters.

 

[Toirtis]

Had he stuffed kittens into screw-top mason jars,.....

Now thats art! I'm off to the studio!

Funny semi-similar story...I got into a huge battle with a carnival operator a few years back for giving away baby iguanas as prizes in a midway booth, and when the local SPCA said that they could really do nothing more than make sure that the animals had food and water, I announced that I was going to set up my own midway booth and give away 7 week-old kittens and puppies as prizes....suddenly the SPCA found the resources to side with me on the iguana thing.

 

[mr86mister]

i would go and still those bulbs and keep the bettas in 20 gallon aquariums each!!! with lots of swimming room so i can see the smiles on their faces and the bubbles on the waters surface.....

its ok to be a creative artist, but its common sense not to dispose of living animals to show off your work

 

[Tiger_Oscar]

The way everyone treats beta's seem cruel to me. Go into the pet store and there in small cups. Even people who keep them get those small little tanks.

 

[Rach101]

That really angers me.. Do you know of any way that you could contact the artist? Did it have an email address or anything of the sort?

 

[Blazeherd2306]

It reminds me of the time when these people were having a party and they threw a betta into a glass of champaigne . Luckily there was a vet at the party and he took the betta out of the champaigne and took care of it. How he did it I don't know. Removing from champaigne then putting it into tap water to bring it back to his house? Maybe it was his house and he put it into one of his fish tanks.

 

[tracygh]

That's just insane. Rach is right, we should find an email for the artist, or better yet, the gallery, and send them emails of protest.
The things people do....

 

[Tiger_Oscar]

Thinking of what another members said about animal cruelty. If it was a dog or cat there would be some animal activist showing up. Fish are considered as pet so is there a such thing as fish cruelty?

 

[Rach101]

This really has me aaaaannnnnnnnggggggrrryyyyyyyyyyy Im serious, is there anyway we can contact this :censor: . Fish are just as much pets as anyone else. I think they feel pain, and they feel hunger, and they certainly feel what that man is doing to them ..;djkf;ldskf;lfjdflvgkjdf;lkgvjd this angers me soooo much

 

[fishyrican]

The "artist's" name is Darrell Tousley. He is an instructor at the Mesa Arts Center.

http://www.mesaartscenter.com/sculptureInstructors.htm

http://www.envirolink.org/external.html?itemid=200506171435450.416387

http://artslide.fa.asu.edu/mfaslide/tousley/tousley-004.htm

http://artslide.fa.asu.edu/mfaslide/tousley/tousley-002.htm

http://artslide.fa.asu.edu/mfaslide/tousley/index_tousley.htm

 

[Meredith]

maybe if a bunch us should send this guy an email. That is really mean.

 

[krap101]

hmmm... kittens and puppies? isnt that expensive?

and all those red guys makes me think that their gonna attack me or something