24”x36”, oil on canvas, 2023

 

White Gladis is the matriarchal leader of orca-led boat attacks off the Iberian Peninsula. These attacks and her mafia-like tutelage of other orcas inspired the creation of White Gladis’s War Table. White Gladis has trained her pod to join in on attacks, and she was pregnant during her first attack and has since brought her calf with her on later attacks. Some believe Gladis attacks due to a past boating encounter that left her traumatized, but it most likely the orca whales are attacking as a game - they’re so intelligent. But what fun is that? The theme of revenge was the motivation for how these whales are portrayed in this painting. Since 2020, the amount of attacks has grown to a total over one hundred and three boats have been capsized. Even with all this boat torment, no humans have been harmed - only boats.

 

So how do the orcas organize an attack on a boat? It is a coordinated group attack led by their matriarch. Smaller orcas go after the rudders while a larger one launches themself into the boat to damage or capsize it. Most likely, the orcas are playing with boats like a toy or a team building exercise. They sure are making waves by working together.