Commission from Audubon Society for their series "The Aviary"​

2023

The Dry Salt Lake

In this work I’m thinking about the cascading effect of environmental collapse. The Great Salt Lake could dry up in the next five years. The effects of this would be catastrophic to all living things within hundreds of miles. In the lake bed there are high levels of arsenic; without the water trapping it, breathing in the Salt Lake area will be poisonous when winds carry the dust into the air.
Between the population growing rapidly, unsustainable agricultural practices, and drought seasons worsening due to climate change, the lake which once drew in people from all over the world will soon be seeking its revenge.
My sculpture depicts alive and dead stilts in a barren environment. The earth is made from pieces that puzzle piece together and reference the dried, cracked earth. On the surface I have applied deep sea sediment collected and gifted to me by a geologist friend. The white tiles that make up the background reference the plumes of toxic air as well as the dried up salt deposits you can find around the edges of the lake. The tiles are littered with brine flies, an important food resource for migrating birds. The Great Salt Lake is one of the west’s most important stop over points, supporting 10 million birds as they migrate. Save the Great Salt Lake 

Materials: ceramic, magnets, deep sea sediment