ECO ARTWORKS

A Drop of Water

 The ostensible function of this installation is to keep a small amount of water in a depression on the upper surface of a boulder. Adjacent to the boulder is a vertical construction which supports a small steel tank containing tap water and an open basin rain catchment. 

A Drop of Water (cont'd)

A solar panel provides power for a network of electrical devices – sensors, valves, actuators – that are managed by a microcontroller. Two ounces of water can be released from the catchment onto the boulder by the viewer by pressing a button on the Control Panel if rock is dry.  

A Drop of Water (cont'd)

On a regular schedule, a sensor mounted to the tap water tank will check the status of the pocket on the rock and if it is dry, it will activate the release of two ounces of water onto the rock. This work responds to environmental conditions and its construction makes use of salvage industrial materials as well as natural materials. 

Leaf, Stone, and Wind

This installation makes use of the wind to create a record of its time on the site. The steel scribe will, bit by bit, mark its roughly circular path in the stone as the wind changes direction and moves the vane above. The very gradual scraping of a circle in the stone challenges the viewer to consider the slow and steady progression of natural forces. 

Cairn Trough

The “cairn” (often used to mark a mountain summit) constructed of compressed earth blocks - instead of rocks – is a connection to the mountains - our water source. The curved steel plane with central trough creates a gesture of water collection and harvesting.