Bluebottle was painted in September 2019 by artist Nick Sweetman using Montana Black spraypaint – it features a Bluebottle Jellyfish – half above and half below the waterline – with the ‘sail’ refracting the sunlight from above and the stinging tentacles drifting in the cold sea beneath.
We asked Nick about the inspiration behind his piece – he told us:
I chose a blue bottle jellyfish as the subject matter for this mural for a couple of reasons – first, I am always interested in representing the local species wherever I go and I know that at various times of the year these jellyfish are all over Bondi. I also wanted to challenge myself to show their beauty while also capturing the sinister sense of danger they evoke.
Finally, I wanted to draw attention to the fact that, as the climate warms, fisheries decline due to overfishing, and the ocean increases in acidity due to increased absorption of carbon from the atmosphere, many species in marine ecosystems are and will continue to be replaced by jellyfish.
If things dont change, we could have an ocean full of jellyfish and not much else… so this piece is intended to both inspire appreciation for a creature that is otherwise a symbol of danger, and also to warn us about what is to come if humanity cannot turn things around.
You can find out more about Nick and see more of his work HERE.
Bondi Beach Graffiti Wall 