1-2 years is the typical lifespan of octopus vulgaris, with 5 years being ancient. Given its exceptionally large size, this common octopus was an elder to say the least. Octopus flesh is a delicacy to other sea creatures as well as humans and it looks like this one lost, and already began to regenerate, many of the tips of its tentacles. Was it due to other fish eating them as they had opportunities? Or were they lost from many years of hard use in capturing its own food? Either way, the details of this print suggest many trials of a hard-fought life.
Octopuses (or octopi, if you prefer, each is grammatically correct) are one of the hardest creatures to print well, but also one of the most rewarding. A large percentage of their volume is water and resists many inks. Water based inks tend to get, well, watered down in the process, and many prints end up being a watery mess. For those who master cephalopods, it can be one of the most satisfying creatures to print in light of all the compositional possibilities to convey a wide range of motion and mood. Compare the various compositions in this tent and ask how each makes the viewer feel. The range of emotion parallels the complexity of the octopus itself.
All of my reproductions are limited to an edition of 100 and are printed on Hahnemuhle photo rag paper by London-based Creative Hub. Their products are the best I've seen and all their work is end to end carbon neutral. It takes a little longer to get them (about two weeks), but I promise it's worth the wait. Shipping is included in the cost, even to send it across the Atlantic!
Interested in an original? I may still have this one. If not, I may have one similar, or you could commission me to make a piece for you. Why not contact me to inquire?