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Healthy Planet

Leviathan

“My painting, Leviathan, refers to the food chain (or web), but is not a literal depiction. The word “leviathan” has come to mean any large sea creature, such as a whale. Both the whale (the large center shape) and plankton are part of the food web.”

Leviathan
Leviathan

Artist statement — Rakar West.

All of Dr. White’s images of plankton are very beautiful and interesting to me. The one I chose as my main inspiration is the composite image of the cyanobacteria, protozoans and metazoans. My painting, Leviathan, refers to the food chain (or web), but is not a literal depiction. The word “leviathan” has come to mean any large sea creature, such as a whale. Both the whale (the large center shape) and plankton are part of the food web.

Eugene, Oregon 2012

For other works submitted to the Art of Plankton show, see Forms from the Sea.

By Nick Houtman

Nick Houtman is director of research communications at OSU and edits Terra, a world of research and creativity at Oregon State University. He has experience in weekly and daily print journalism and university science writing. A native Californian, he lived in Wisconsin and Maine before arriving in Corvallis in 2005.