Turtle Embroidery, 2019, cotton yarn, turtle shell, video, embroidery hoop, vinyl fabric, mirror stand

The turtle pictured here in the embroidery hoop lives in a natural history museum, an ambassador for educating the public about the conservation of aquatic creatures.  The aquarium in which it lives is beautiful, well maintained, and healthy. 

Yet at times, this turtle seems to want to escape the enclosure, and to be bounded by the glass walls.  The turtle will outlive the ones in nature, will experience less stress, less hunger. 

The fate of the wild turtle is a different fate, woven with more danger and more self determination.  I imagine each wondering if the other path were better, dreaming of alternate turtle worlds.