The Ocean Wave
Photo credit: Miguel Leal
The story behind the Ocean Wave was supposed to be a warm one. Artist Bas Jan Ader set a three-part performance around the ship; first, he would be sent off by a student choir singing shanties to a piano. Then he’d sail from Cape Cod to Falmouth in England in a craft only 4 meters (12 ft) in length. When he would arrive 8–10 weeks later, he’d sing the ending to the song to finish the performance. The problem was, he never arrived in England.
His boat was found floating by itself, without a trace of Bas Jan Ader within. People speculated that a rogue wave took him, or that he became disorientated and fell in, or even that the whole performance piece was a mask for his own suicide. Either way, Bas Jan Ader was never found again.
So what do you think happened to him? Accident or self inflicted harm. Just a guessing game from all I've been able to find.
Coffee out on the patio this morning.
