Ocean Environmental Degradation
Faculty Mentor Name
Merrill Schleier
Abstract/Artist Statement
My current body of ecologically-minded works are inspired by my father's love of the sea. As a child, I remember going sailing, kayaking, boogie boarding, rowing, fishing and swimming. Although my interest in the ocean was founded upon my father's own love for it, that love has become something all my own. Recently, my interest has turned to human pollution of the ocean's environment. The ocean is typically seen as a boundless natural source for fishing and transportation. However, the ocean is not as expendable as people to think. There are many manmade causes of ocean pollution, such as oil spills, sewage contamination, liquid and solid waste dumping, which are destroying the natural habitat and killing marine life. About seventy one percent of the earth is covered with oceans, but if we keep polluting and destroying them, there's going to be nothing left. I explore the ocean's role in our lives and how we can control the pollutants that are detrimental to the animals that live there. I chose watercolor to illustrate this topic, because while watercolor is a flowing, delicate medium, I believe it also has the strength ·and power to portray environmental destruction. I believe that using human waste as a collaged element in these works also heightens the effect because the trash contains recognizablejunk. It emphasizes where trash ends up when people litter. I hope that through my own work, I can promote more sensitivity to · the ocean as a source of life, and raise awareness about the pollution and destruction of this ephemeral natural resource.
Location
Studio Art Building
Start Date
3-5-2008 1:00 PM
End Date
3-5-2008 5:00 PM
Ocean Environmental Degradation
Studio Art Building
My current body of ecologically-minded works are inspired by my father's love of the sea. As a child, I remember going sailing, kayaking, boogie boarding, rowing, fishing and swimming. Although my interest in the ocean was founded upon my father's own love for it, that love has become something all my own. Recently, my interest has turned to human pollution of the ocean's environment. The ocean is typically seen as a boundless natural source for fishing and transportation. However, the ocean is not as expendable as people to think. There are many manmade causes of ocean pollution, such as oil spills, sewage contamination, liquid and solid waste dumping, which are destroying the natural habitat and killing marine life. About seventy one percent of the earth is covered with oceans, but if we keep polluting and destroying them, there's going to be nothing left. I explore the ocean's role in our lives and how we can control the pollutants that are detrimental to the animals that live there. I chose watercolor to illustrate this topic, because while watercolor is a flowing, delicate medium, I believe it also has the strength ·and power to portray environmental destruction. I believe that using human waste as a collaged element in these works also heightens the effect because the trash contains recognizablejunk. It emphasizes where trash ends up when people litter. I hope that through my own work, I can promote more sensitivity to · the ocean as a source of life, and raise awareness about the pollution and destruction of this ephemeral natural resource.