“Fouling Organisms/ Weathered Wood”, 2023, Wild Clay, Algae Waste, Organisms, Wood, and Rope, 16” x 36” x 12”

These three pieces are part of a project I have been researching with my university’s biology department. I have been experimenting with firing algae bloom waste from local waterways because of its high ash content and resemblance to clay. When mixed with local clay bodies, it provides an excellent medium for making sculptures. These pieces can then be placed back into the same waterways and be used as a sustainable artificial reef for marine organism growth. These three pieces were submerged off my father’s dock on the Gulf of Mexico for several months. During that time, they hosted a variety of marine life and much of that remains on its surface. Barnacles, oysters, and mussel shells remain fused to its surface, providing a visual example of the future application of this research project. These pieces are displayed inside weathered wood structures that suggest their time spent underwater. They are hung with rope inside these structures just as they were suspended in the ocean.