Encroachment

by Benjamin Lambert

Depth: 19\"\n\nThe visual narrative of this piece depicts a bear mourning the loss of a fish, while the pig beneath it relishes what the bear has lost. Through hyperbole and surreal relationships, the work reflects my questions about the imbalance created by human activity.\n\nSpecifically, this imbalance highlights the relationship between global industrial fishing and agriculture. While fisheries around the world are strained to the point of collapse, an estimated one-third to one-half of the global fish catch never reaches the market. Instead, it is diverted to feed chickens, pigs, and other farm-raised fish. This piece challenges the staggering inefficiency of transforming one food source into another and asks whether such practices can truly support a sustainable future.\n\nWhat I hope this work encourages is dialogue about positive, practical responses to this problem. Chefs, food companies, and everyday people all have the opportunity to (re)discover less familiar foods—and to embrace them as exciting, delicious, and potentially more sustainable choices.