A Bering Sea Story

Beth Blankenship

10”H x 6”W x 6”D

2018

ARTIST STATEMENT

On February 11, 2017, the crabber FV Destination disappeared in the Bering Sea. On July 9th, the boat was found on the sea floor—2.5 miles from where its automatic tracking system had last transmitted. Crab fishing has long been considered an incredibly dangerous way to make a living but it had been more than a decade since a boat sank on the fishing grounds. Alaskans have mixed-feelings about The Deadliest Catch. Many “reality” shows romanticize, and often overdramatize, life on the Last Frontier. Alaska is strikingly beautiful but it can be deadly unforgiving of mistakes. Six men lost their lives gathering crab for the world’s tables. A Bering Sea Story is a small memorial to them.

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