Poisonous Beauty, 2018
Installation created for The CAN Triennial, Cleveland, Ohio
The exhibition was held concurrent to FRONT International in Cleveland, Ohio.
Materials: ink, plastic.
Size: 14 feet long x 12 feet high
Installed in the stairwell of 78th Street Studios, July 7 – 29, 2018
The green algae blooms on Lake Erie each Summer look beautiful when viewed in aerial photographs, but the reality of the blue/green toxic algae is poisonous to the wildlife and to humans alike. I created this piece to have the view confront the environmental impact of the fertilizer run-off that farms in western Ohio create.
About the work
Each summer, fertilizers run off farms near western Lake Erie allowing for brilliant shades of toxic green algae to bloom and choke the lake and its wildlife.
Satellite photographs of Lake Erie taken during the end of the summer and in early fall reveal the massive growth of the algal blooms. My work asks the viewer to confront the problem and to take action.