#12 Acidification

Acidification, or the changing of the pH to a more acid chemistry is happening in our oceans. I few years ago I heard a lecture on the amount of CO2 from emissions going into the atmosphere. At that point it was 700 billion tons a year. The oceans are the earths natural sponges for CO2 and they were at the time absorbing 500 billion tons, leaving 200 billion floating up into the atmosphere. Since that lecture it seems the balance of our oceans is becoming gradually more acidic. Who cares you might be thinking, but in truth it does ultimately effect you and the rest of us. What this new chemistry balance is doing is affecting any sea creature with a shell. That includes the krill whose shells are not developing with the strength needed for the creatures to survive to adulthood. They are the main source of food for the whales and feed a multitude of other sea life as well. They are the bottom of the food chain. The new chemistry is also effecting the coral reefs, weakening their structural integrety and ultimately will reduce them to slimy rubble. Right now they protect a huge number of land masses from the harch onslaught of the ocean's force and are the nursery habitats for baby sea life.
This piece is about the dying coral reefs and the fish food chain ending with our fork.

#8 350

A giant international grassroots movement took place on October 24, 2009 called 350.org

People all over the world in 181 countries held up 350 signs in solidarity with this movement to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Everyone went to the 350.org website to sign up to be counted and included, when their names are taken to the World Climate Change conference in Copenhagen in December to be shared with the world leaders. The world can tolerate 350 parts per million of CO2 in its atmosphere, before catastrophic things related to extreme weather conditions happens. We are currently at 387 ppm. Do I feel an urgency to spread the word.. You bet!

This piece is hung at an angle to show the tipping point. The three sticks lashed together are smoke stacks with black wires representing smoke and the CO2 emissions. The green wire and green gels are the earths atmosphere which is being pierced. The numbers 350 are at the bottom of these sticks.

#11 Bickering

This piece was created out of frustration for all the pettiness that takes place at the expense of the big picture. The tiny red and blue wires facing off, represent the bickering that takes place between the Democrats and Republicans, or liberals and conservatives. Talk is endless and cheap, meanwhile the blue and green gels are the huge waves all around the wooden/ land. As my sister is fond of saying, "Mother Nature bats last!"

#9 Splayed

I was carrying a lot of uncertainty for several reasons, at the time I created this piece. We had just come back from Florida where Dick found this beautiful little figurative piece of wood. It's fragility reminded me of how I was feeling and the wire hand bearing down represents the claustrophobic confusion. The dark gels are thoughts and a little bit of fear.

#10 Squeezed

This piece is about individual liberties and home rule, vs 'Big Brother's' government control. It is specifically about the island of Martha's Vineyard and the compromise that is taking place with the wind turbines that are going to be placed around the island. Each end of the drift wood has concentric circles that represent individual liberties and island autonomy. The feathered wings on both sides are the obstructed views, caused by the whirling blades, and the large wire turbine on the top is government imposed renewable energy. All told there will probably be 130 turbines off the north shore of the island and 160 off the south shore.

Outside In Designs

This is the beginning of my involvement in the Time Project, created by Sandie Fenton
My over all subject is Climate Change, and my theme is Wake Up. The materials that I am using over and over for 52 weeks are drift wood, electric wire, and theater gels. We started this project on September 1, 2009. We are all (14 artists) creating 52 pieces over the course of a year. Each week we try and pay close attention to our feelings as we are creating. Once a month we meet to show our work and discuss our process.