Precious Water
Pier 62/63 , Seattle, WA.
A collaborative temporary installation and blog by Ellen Sollod and Carolyn Law bringing attention to the water quality of Puget Sound. Supported in part by Seattle Print Arts. 2010.
The artists conceived the work as a way to draw attention to the condition of Puget Sound and to provoke conversation about environmental stewardship. It could be seen from Pike Place Market, Victor Steinbrueck Park, the Alaskan Way Viaduct and offices and condominiums overlooking the pier.
Over the course of 10 days, Ellen and Carolyn transformed the 1000 square foot image so that ultimately all that remained was the palimpsest of the word “precious” as a ghost image on the pier. As the artists worked on site, they engaged in conversations with people visiting the pier. The constant evolution of changes to the artwork referenced the delicate status of the health of the water of Puget Sound. The artists believed that understanding the importance of the Sound and all water gives rise to a culture of caring. The goal was to encourage people to pause to consider the importance of clean water to the ecology of Puget Sound, and by extension, to their daily lives. Without direct action, on the part of government and the larger community to alter the process of environmental degradation of this important body of water – it will “disappear” as an environment that can sustain healthy life. Through a blog that documented the changes during the run of the installation, they reached a national audience. The goal was to encourage people to pause to consider the importance of clean water to the ecology of Puget Sound, and by extension, to our daily lives.
