Writing Initiative #7 & Current Projects Overview
For the class critique I showed the birds' diet visualization, which is my 3d project. The project and concept relate to my work initiation on multiple levels. Considering marshes and wetlands, birds are another important part of a thriving ecosystem. Not only do they control insect and bug populations, but they also disperse and fertilize seeds throughout their environment. Some birds eat mostly insects and larvae, while others' diets primarily consist of organic plant matter and waste grains. They help control wild weeds and grasses and use resources in the area for their nests and migratory hot spots. These all together showcase levels of restoration and decay in the birds' jobs supporting the wetlands ecosystem, while the wetlands themselves are nature's filtration system, and they themselves are a constant cycle of restoration and decay.
One suggestion I got from peers was to have some sort of photo or graphic identifying each species of bird, as some of the names people aren’t familiar with. They said having a face or picture would make the containers easier to associate with birds they may have seen in passing, versus just having a name they might not recognize. The main issue blocking this, which I’ve already considered, is that while I have photos of most of the birds on my list, I don’t have photos of every single one. This means I would have to limit the containers in the visualization to only those I have photos of, or I would need to use free-use images of the birds, which doesn’t feel right for the nature of this project. If I had more time, I would probably do small, simple illustrations or icons of each bird to go in the layout shadow underneath where the containers are placed.
Overall, the class liked the concept and the way in which I’m presenting it, in the petri dishes and as a visualization. A few people said they really liked that you can pick up the containers and inspect their contents instead of it being a mounted piece that’s not meant to be touched. I do need to think further about how I’m going to indicate that you’re meant to pick up and interact with the petri dishes, as many art and design exhibits you’re not meant to physically interact with the work. I don’t want to just have a random placecard or sticker that says ‘touch me!’ as that seems low effort and doesn’t give off any feel of intentionality.
Each project I've been working on is related to my word Instauration on a few levels, I've been working to utilize recycled materials alongside the conceptual connection of each work to further push my intentions.
My experimental work was my first step toward exploring my representations in Instauration. I used 100% recycled materials for the project, including lids from takeout containers that otherwise would have been thrown away. The final patterns for these earrings are simplified patterns on the underside shells of two native turtle species, which are being monitored by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife. The left is a blandings turtle pattern, and the right is a midland painted turtle. I wanted to highlight the turtle species native to Ontario and also liked how, within the theme of marshes and wetlands, they're both aquatic and land animals.
2d with the fish prints I used almost completely recycled materials, all the way from the fish themselves to the tools I used to the materials they're printed on. The fish themselves are important parts of wetlands and marshes in the underwater areas, while helping maintain the other sectors. The fish filter and consume organic matter that’s in a state of decomposition, insects that land on the water along with their larvae, and cycle nutrients in different areas of the marshes. The fish themselves also act as a food source for other creatures within the marsh, and the marshes act as vital shelter, habitat, and spawning areas for many species of fish. All of these different elements come together to maintain balance within the marsh ecosystems.
In this project I'm using historical printing practices, using recycled materials and giving them a new life instead of going to the dump, and showcasing life under the water in marshes that we don't commonly see in this way.
The 3d project connects a lot with themes of decay, regrowth, and population control within the wildlife in wetlands. Many birds have high percentages of insects and larvae in their diets, which keeps them from overpopulating and infesting other areas. Other birds eat mainly seeds and wild vegetation, both new and dead found in undergrowth, which controls plant growth as they eat the seeds, but also helps with their foraging habits in keeping grounds from being piled up with decaying plant matter. Due to the amount of berries and seeds birds eat, they are heavy supporters of plant diversity and dispersing seeds. This support the environment in areas that have been damaged by human means and helps destroyed areas recover new plants. Many species of birds also act as pollinators for various types of plants, supporting forest and environmental regrowth.
The 4D projection is meant to support the layered representation of wetlands and add to the concept of them as filtration systems of human destruction. The chosen video shows natural elements around human structure from a top-down angle, a close-up of the ground as it creeps into the water. The projection on the floor ebbs and flows around people's shoes as they walk up to interact with the full exhibit, which is a play on how humans walk all over the environment around them, yet it still persists in existing the best it can. Marshes are good at combating a lot of the negative factors that have come from urbanization on the environment.
