"The Body Of Water" 2 Favorite 

Practitioner: 

Date: 

Jun 19 2015

Location: 

Flint MI

In November 2016, citizens of Flint, MI filed a historic class action law suit against both city and state for the damages wrought by lead contaminants in the water supply. The city's 100 thousand inhabitants have faced damages not only to their homes for the corrosive qualities of the water, but in myriad physical ailments; skin lesions, hair loss, high lead blood levels, vision loss, depression and anxiety are all reported symptoms.

Artist Desiree Duell and her son switched to bottled water in the fall of 2014. Like many families residing in the town who have become dependent on bottled water as their only resource, the number of bottles accumulated began to be overwhelming. In June of of 2015, she decided to do something about it.

She describes her work to be a statement about the enormity of the crisis in Flint. Some of her works are displayed in store front windows where bottles are piled high to represent the gargantuan waste of plastic. Her installations also involve children in the community. Using only chalk outlines of students' bodies, she has filled in the space with empty bottles, and lighted the image from underneath with LED lights.

The action works insofar as drawing attention to the crisis in such a way that people might not have otherwise looked at it. In addition to the burdens facing the inhabitants of Flint to their property and their homes, they have no choice but to reach deeper into their pockets and continue buying water bottles in the absence of drinkable tap water, salting the wounds of an already victimized community.

Posted by cah615 on

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