The word sounding refers to a whale sounding or going down. Since seeing the Little Mermaid bronze in Copenhagen harbor at age seven, I've been fascinated by the shape-changer mythologies.
Instead of the usual lower fish body, I chose to sculpt this mermaid with a warm-blooded humpbacked whale tail, articulated so that the woman's thighs, knees and lower legs are still vaguely visible.
The cut-offs drifting away in the water symbolize a past life that has been discarded. Her glance and gesture backwards as she swims deeper, convey a bit of nostalgia.
Like a chrysallis or cocoon, the mermaid is the symbol of change, growth and rejuvenation.
John M. Soderberg • Soderberg Bronze • 536 W. Salt Mine Rd. • Camp Verde, Arizona, 86322 • USA • Tel.: 928.567.6341
