Water
Artist Statement
Mylahn Parsons, Kirran Kumar, Annalise Weimer
The goal of our board is to bring attention to the many ways water is affected by pollution and to make those unaware, that there are more ways to contaminate and pollute water than just by littering. There are three main issues that were chosen to be addressed in this project. The first was the Dakota Pipeline and the risks and issues that come along with it. The pipeline adds more potential risk to have oil spills and leaks from the pipe going into water sources that people rely on. The second issue is the effects that water pollution has on marine life; turtles to be exact. Turtles often fall victim to microplastics and other discarded materials that are improperly disposed of, and often mistake them for food which leads to choking and other issues. Lastly the issue of industrial pollution from factories and businesses that discard their waste into water sources. Chemical production is heavy in the industrial world and when industrial plants are built, they are usually located alongside bodies of water which makes dumping their pollution into them even easier. Unfortunately, they do not think about the long term affects their dumping has and who it will affect. The big question is how can we decrease or even stop and try to resolve these issues within the foreseen future? This board is meant to display how all these things can affect the quality of our water which is an essential necessity to the world. The world’s oceans and bodies of water are constantly being polluted and we as humans should be more aware of the impact that the decisions we make have. For instance, we can do things like use biodegradable goods instead of plastics, explore new ways to dispose of chemicals properly, and create a more efficient and safe way for the transporting of oil through the country.
The pipe featured at the top of the board represents the Dakota Pipeline and the “oil” coming from the pipe represents the potential danger of an oil spill contaminating the water. The turtle is representational of the marine life and how the elements of pollution can cause them harm. The turtle also features headlines and text pertaining to each issue included. The three pipes at the bottom represent industrial pollution and the “sewage/ toxic waste” is contaminating the water source. The collaged images in the background are composed of the three different issues addressed and is a good example of bringing attention to the various issues that all need to be solved.
Resources
Water Revitalization in China:
Betsy Damon is an artist who created innovative ways to restore water sources in countries like China, which face constant water pollution from industrialization. She created an urban park located in Chengdu; China known as “The Living Water Garden”. Its concept and purpose are to teach the local community about clean water. This Park was built to demonstrate how a rivers water quality can be restored back to its original state using natural systems and processes. This Park is now a functioning piece of art and allows the locals to have a consistent water source that is constantly being purified. This Park is interactive with its visitors, and it also features a learning center where visitors can go to learn more about the process of water revitalization.
The link below is to the Non-Profit Organization “Keepers of The Waters” founded by Betsy Damon. Here you can find more information on what they do. You can also donate to their cause and purchase works of art.
Damon, B. (1998). Living Water Garden. Chengdu, China.
https://www.keepersofthewaters.org/living-water-garden
The link below is to more information about the artist Betsy Damon and her impact on the community in Chengdu, China, where her work is located.
Damon, B. (1998). Children playing in flow forms: Living Water Garden. Chengdu, China.
https://www.healing-power-of-art.org/betsy-damon-artist-spokesperson-and-guardian-of-our-living-waters/
Image link:
Christian Als. (2006). Gasoline and oily wastewater flows on the surface of the water in Songhua River. After a petro-chemical explosion in 2005, the benzene levels in the water were recorded at 108 times above the national safety levels..
Retrieved from https://library-artstor-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/asset/APANOSIG_10313566867
Image link:
Christian Als. (2006). A man watches dark wastewater flow into the Songhua River from an oil refinery in Jilin. China has promised to take a series of measures to improve water quality in Songhua River, including construction of more sewage and garbage treatment plants in cities and enforcing clean production in industries along the river..
Retrieved from https://library-artstor-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/asset/APANOSIG_10313566874
The link below is a report on the dangers of working in the fracking industry and warns you about the dangers and toxic exposure that one will undergo if involved. The chemical benzene is a commonly used in industries and can have long term affects if exposed frequently.
Dysart Law Firm. (2015). Toxic Chemical Exposure. https://dysart-law.com/benzene-exposure-danger-real-for-workers-in-fracking-industry/
The link below is an alternative to the water collection process. It features a diagram of an Aquifer which is used to collect and store ground water which can be used instead of polluted river water for example.
GWPC. (2021). Aquifer Storage and Recovery. https://www.gwpc.org/topics/aquifer-storage-recovery/
The link below is an article about how water pollution in China is becoming such a big issue, that the waste from an accidental spill managed to spread all the way to a river bordering the coast of Russia.
Sutherland, D. (2020). China Industrial Waste Pollutes Major River on Border with Russia. Songhua river, Heilongjiang Province. https://www.rfa.org/english/china-russia-pollution-04182020143541.html
The link below is the dictionary definition of toxic waste and the different types of toxic waste there are.
Aldag, R. J. (2020, April 13). Toxic waste. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/toxic-waste
The link below is to an article about the unsafe levels of chemicals found in water in Zhejiang, China. There are studies showing that drinking from this particular water source can lead to kidney and liver cancer.
South China Morning Post, (2021). Polluted river in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Zhejiang, China. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3117969/nearly-100-million-chinese-people-supplied-drinking-water
The link below is to an article about thousands of pig carcasses in the Huangpu River in East China. It is still a mystery how they got there, however that river supplies over 23 million people with water so this was an extreme example of water contamination effecting the masses.
Yang, Z. (2013) Thirsty Dragon. Ju Huanzong. http://www.chinafrica.cn/china_report/txt/2013-04/27/content_538067.htm
Singh Soin, H. (2017-2022) we are opposite like that (multimedia). https://www.himalisinghsoin.com/we-are-opposite-like-that
The Canadian artist details the legacy of ice, delves into the mythos of this chilling force of nature, and dedicates a focus towards South Asian futurism and the author’s fictional ice archives.
Rawles, C. [2020-2021] On The Other Side of Everything [acrylic on canvas] https://www.lehmannmaupin.com/exhibitions/calida-rawles
Rawles depicts Black figures in a state of suspension underwater, intersecting at buoyant and historically charged.
Food
Amber Pierce, Maia Micou, Nico Buerkley
Artist Statement
Food is a basic necessity required of all humans for life on Earth, yet hunger and malnutrition are on the rise. However, due to many reasons, this basic necessity is often difficult to acquire. Within our individual research we found that the reasons for this are due to a dizzying number of factors. There are many contradicting problems: there are both food shortages and overproduction of food, food deserts and massive food consumption and waste. While some people have nothing-single countries produce enough food to share even beyond their own borders. In our artwork, we look at glaring issues over food as well as what people and artists have done to combat this issue.
Our research is visually divided: within the water of the globe, we represent the effects our eating habits have on the environment. Our world has been forever changed by mankind’s agricultural habits- including over-cultivation of land and deterioration of environments. In the continents of the globe there are images, words, and headlines that reflect the ways in which food disparities exist within groups of people and why, and what is being done about it. Factors such as racism, capitalism, and climate change effect the issue of “food”. These issues fuel the chaos of the struggle to address and combat those things, the chaos in our artwork is contrasted by the overarching shape of our collage: yin and yang symbol which represents peace and balance. In order to strive towards balance, we must address the issue of food, and we must take a critical and active role in combating this issue for those who lack.
Resources
https://www.instagram.com/757communityfridges/?hl=en
The 757 Community Fridge is an organization based in Norfolk, Virginia. They are providing communities with free food in an accessible location and by accessible means. There is a community fridge located at Mea Cupla Café on Colonial Avenue. If you have food to give, please consider exploring local resources that make it easy to give. Lack of access is a major cause behind malnutrition and starvation.
https://hampton.gov/2798/Community-Gardens
http://www.livingeov.com/community-garden/
This is a resource that explains what community garden are, and why they are helpful. These also provide the location for a few community gardens located in Norfolk and Hampton Virginia. Consider volunteering at a community garden, or planting a garden of your own that is accessible to those in need.
Watson, D. M. (2021, February). Virginia MOCA’s latest exhibition is about “Nourishing” the soul, the land and each other. The Virginia Pilot.
Watson writes to announce to Virginian locals that “Nourish” is now open to public at the Virginia Museum of Modern Art in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This is an exhibition of multiple artists who have created works around the concept of “food”. The exhibition calls attention to social justice issues such as food insecurity, while also shedding light on food as a connector of peoples. Many local artists paired with organizations dedicated to bridging the gap created by food insecurities. Artists and activists collaborated on work that would shine light on food disparities and provide ways to address these topics. This is included in my research, because it serves as a real life example of how artists can utilize their skills to provide assistance to those in need.
Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. (2020). Food Insecurity in Hampton Roads. The State of the Region: Hampton Roads 2020, 103–120. https://doi.org/10.25776/f3s4-zj37
This source provides an oversight to local food insecurity, which will aid in adding factual statistics to my research. Food Insecurity in Hampton Roads is compiled by the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy- a part of the Strome College of Business at Old Dominion University. “The Center is supported by the Strome College of Business, Old Dominion University, a set of generous private donors, and organizations including the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. It is important to note, however, that these supporters endorse neither the studies the Center produces nor any of the specific positions that the Center and its personnel may take on an issue.” https://www.odu.edu/business/center/ceap
Steinmetz, G., & Revkin, A. (2020). The human planet: Earth at the dawn of the anthropocene. Abrams.
Revkin and Stienmets combine research and photography to explore Anthropocene- the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. This relates to my area of study for the visual and contextual completion of this project because it will be centered on food insecurity and the causes of them. Our over-abundance of food production both negatively affects the environment and creates economic/social disparities. This research is presented to chronicle the earth past and present, as humanity continues to develop the land. Steinmetz’s photography work explores documentation on the human footprint.