April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Nothing fishy about Joe -- then again...
Joseph Grieco of Albany can show you one. Well, one like it anyway.
Fish from the Sea of Galilee are still caught and eaten, including St. Peter's Fish, said to have been the type multiplied by Jesus. These fish -- similar to catfish and just as good to eat -- are called tilapia and are becoming more and more popular around the world in the field of aquaculture, the controlled production of fish for hybridization, spawning and food.
For Mr. Grieco, a member of Our Lady Help of Christians parish, tilapias hold a completely different meaning: They are, in themselves, a miracle of sorts.
Fish story
Mr. Grieco's interest in fish began almost 20 years ago when he reached a crossroads in his life and decided to study taxidermy. He had dabbled in it as a teen under the tutelage of his father, Frank, who had practiced it as a hobby.The more he studied, the deeper his interest became in the complicated endeavor of preparing, stuffing and mounting the skins of animals. Mr.Grieco also became aware of a movement called "catch and release" whereby those concerned about the depleting of fish supplies advocated catching and releasing fish back to their environment.
That was mirrored in the field of taxidermy by a movement to artificially reproduce fish by making forms and then painting them in a realistic reproduction, thus giving fishermen an opportunity to enjoy their sport while not destroying their catch.
Faith and fish
After years of trial and error, and the development of more sophisticated methods, Mr. Grieco's reproductions can barely be distinguished from the real thing. Although he still does taxidermy, his interest is on reproducing fish. For him, it has become a unique form of art.He began to research St. Peter's Fish and the Sea of Galilee. Through the internet, he communicated with a restaurant owner in Tiberias, Galilee (now part of Israel).
"Regarding your inquiry about the St. Peter's Fish we serve, the scientific name is tilapia. This is the same kind of fish Jesus was said to have eaten in His time. It is especially significant as Jesus was able to feed two tilapias and five loaves of bread to 5,000 people, satisfying each one's hunger as illustrated in the miraculous event told about in the New Testament."
Further research indicated that among the ten known species of tilapia, there is one named "galilea."
Fins begin
The tilapia was introduced in the U.S. after World War II from areas around the Middle East. Although it is not commonly known in America, certain trademarked names of the species are beginning to show up: Java Red, Florida Red, Rocky Mountain White and Golden.Mr. Grieco has his own plans for the fish. He is currently in communication with a supplier in Boston to obtain tilapia. This will allow him to send them to his reproducer in Texas, who uses a flexible acrylic resin to copy the fish. They will then be sent to Mr. Grieco, who will go to work.
"Primarily what I do in reproduction is paint the characteristics of the fish on the body likeness, he said. "I use many different techniques of air brushing, as well as paint strokes, because I use dry paint pigments. That is the only way I can achieve the subtle beauty of the fish's natural coloring."
Scale models
Mounted on the walls of the dining room in the Grieco home are replicas of large mouth bass, northern pike, Alaskan arctic grayling and other fish.Producing the replicas "is a painstaking and delicate process," he said. "I love it," even though it usually takes him several hours to complete one fish.
"I want to make tilapias available to the public," he said. His idea is that they can be mounted as a wall hanging, given as gifts or used as reminders of the deep symbolism the fish holds for Christians.
"People can have a symbol of what Jesus and His followers most likely ate in their day," he said. "Although we cannot know for sure, it is probable that this fish was the species multiplied by Christ and distributed to those who gathered on the banks of the Galilee to hear Him preach. What a wonderful memento!
"I often recall the words He spoke to His disciples: 'Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.' I consider my work to be a vehicle for that message."
(For further information on reproductions of tilapia, call Joseph Grieco at 465-5761.)
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