Visit John Vonderlin’s “Sinksam’s” Beach Trash Art at Pacifica’s Earth Day Pelican Fest ~ Debris and Treasures Gleaned from “Neptune’s Vomitorium

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ARTICLE. From Pacifica artist John Vonderlin.

Sinksam, more commonly known as “benthic marine debris” or “non-buoyant marine debris” is flotsam and jetsam’s lesser known sibling. It rests on the out-of-sight, out-of-mind world of the ocean bottom.

Over twenty years ago in a small, isolated, hard-to-access cove south of Pescadero, I noticed a large quantity of highly unusual marine debris fouling a beach. In the ensuing years I have returned to that cove many times to collect that unusual debris.

Soon I realized that it was not floating in, but rather periodically, but persistently being regurgitated through a crack in the reef from the ocean bottom. Intrigued by this seemingly unknown process I
became obsessed.

In the last twenty years I have returned to the cove a thousand times and encountered about 500 productive collecting events. I would fully document the beach conditions in the cove when a regurgitation event had occurred. Taking the treasures home I would photograph them all, before and after sorting, and then store them in banker boxes in an outbuilding. At some point I began creating
artplay pieces with the objects.  

Eventually I named the cove “Neptune’s Vomitorium”, and the marine debris became “sinksam” to differentiate it from its more famous siblings in the “Sam” family. I estimate I have selected from what I brought home close to 100,000 objects to use as art supplies. I estimate that I, or other artists I donated to, have used about 50,000 pieces in over 300 artplay pieces. All of this is viewable, downloadable and open to use on my 95,000 photo Flickr.com account: John Vonderlin.
  
My initial interest was scientific, leading me to research the dynamics of this “most unique” phenomenon. (Not only is sinksam regurgitated, but unique waterlogged driftwood, kelp drift, sea
creature corpses and innumerable ocean agates, colorful quartz pebbles  etc.).

Why did it come up here and not elsewhere?, Where was it coming from?, What path had it followed to get here?., What drove it?, How long had it been on that silent procession?, Why did the makeup of different regurgitations vary so much?, and so many other questions demanded answers.

I have many possible answers to those questions I would like to share with the scientifically-oriented. But the “art supplies” in my many pieces provide the answers just as clearly. 

Here are some of the artplay pieces I have created: Art Project Folders 2.
 
At 75, three years into a battle with Wet Macular Degeneration that threatens to blind me despite innumerable shots into my eyes, I realize I must start the process of finding homes for my art and
sharing the insights into the dynamics of the processes that brought its components into my hands. Can you help? 

Thanks. John Vonderlin. 

If you have a home for any of John’s Art Play pieces, you can contact him at: [email protected]

P.S. Some of my Art Play Pieces will be on display at the Pacifica Beach Coalition’s PelicanFest on April 26, 2025 at the April 26th, 10:30 – 1:30 PM North Lot Linda Mar State Beach, Pacifica CA at the Pacifica Land Trust booth.