by Smithe
Cozumel, Mexico – July 2015
Smithe
Influenced by Japanese Animé, the graphic style from the 50's and Sci-Fi movies, at the age of 13 he begins to paint graffiti just for fun and as a hobby. Autodidactic and evolutionary, attracted by fine arts, Smithe has constantly reinvented his own style and over the past years has tried out with many themes on his work such as Existentialism, Individuality of the human being and the machine within. The defragmentation, common symbol on his work, is used as a vehicle to show the inside elements that power his characters and is shown as a surrealistic machine. He is commonly known for his graffiti but he´s also involved in other areas such as illustration, design, sculpture and music. He has exhibited in Germany, France, Belgium, United Kingdom, Spain, USA and Mexico.
Villas El Encanto, Calle 21 Sur, Gonzalo Guerrero, San Miguel de Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Smithe's mural addresses the relationship between the local people, the coral reefs, and native marine species of the Yucatan peninsula.
Over the last 50 years, Caribbean coral reefs have suffered enormous declines in live coral cover. On average, coral cover on reefs of the region has dropped from about 50-60% to less than 15% today. A mixture of sponges, algae and bare substrate now occupies the vacated space. The causes of these widespread declines in reef "health" remain contested, although there is nearly unanimous agreement that the leading suspect is coral disease – ultimately stemming from human impacts. Declining water quality, extensive coastal development, overfishing, and direct and indirect tourism impacts are all believed to have contributed to conditions favoring the growth and spread of coral diseases.
You can help save coral reefs by:
Reducing your carbon footprint.
Using reef-friendly sunscreen.
Only consuming sustainably caught sea life.
Being an ocean-minded voter.
Cozumel, MX