Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
see and acknowledge the restoration work done by other artists and to learn what
strategies have been most effective.
Tim Collins and Reiko Goto's work from the 3 Rivers 2nd Nature project in Pitts-
burgh, Pennsylvania, was included in that exhibition. They showed a series of photos
of a temporary “sand painting,” done in the manner of Tibetan monks, from painstak-
ing application to the final return of the sand to the river. Tim and Reiko created aer-
ial views of the 3 Rivers area with colored sand in exquisite, minute detail. The artists
spent five years on the project, working to reveal the forgotten realities and to redefine
the emergent ecological values of the region. The result was a unique preservation,
conservation, and restoration plan, prepared with, and developed for, citizen action.
While I was unaware of Betsy Damon's work when I was planning the exhibit, I
soon heard how she had designed six acres of wetlands to restore the urban water qual-
ity of the Fu-Nan River in Chengdu, China. Her Living Water Gardens are remedia-
tion systems that restore polluted rivers and canals using a concept called solar aquat-
ics. Her designs incorporate wetland plants to clean the water, while sculptural forms
aerate it. Her works also include public participation to educate local citizens.
In my own work, the GO ECO and GO Doñana interactive installations about
wetland restoration engage players with informational videos that address issues in
coastal areas around the world. While the WATERWASH™ prototype presented here
is designed specifically for the Mattituck Inlet, its ecological principles of stormwater
remediation can also apply to many waterfront locations.
A quote by Herbert Marcuse (1979) seems apropos here: “If art can't change the
world, it can change the consciousness and drives of the women and men who would
change the world.” The very fact that the projects showcased here were accomplished
with the cooperation of government entities establishes that these artistic processes do
work, and they result in an engaging format. Although the path to completion may
not be easy, the specific gifts of some artistic personalities lend themselves to this way
of working. Tenacity is built in for those accustomed to a life choice requiring sub-
stantial sacrifices. With determined artists as the lead agents in these collaborative en-
deavors, there is extra value added—both in improved visual form and in enhanced
ecological function.
PROJECT I: 3 RIVERS 2ND NATURE
Intent
The plan of 3 Rivers 2nd Nature (3R2N) was to focus on the idea of green infrastruc-
ture as a subject of a research-based, public art practice. The question was, Could
artists bring about change in a postindustrial landscape? The methodology focused on
aesthetics and integrated, interdisciplinary analysis, and public discourse that would
lead to a restored “green” infrastructure. Expanding on our specific interests, we fo-
cused on how artists can contribute to the recovery of a complex aesthetic of health
and vitality. This is an exploration of an aesthetic sense of landscape health following
