The Sea

The Sea Installation Project came out of developing an intimate relationship with the sea over the course of time. After graduate school, I continued to make pilgrimages to the Pacific Northwest’s rugged coastline in Washington State. These trips mediated an exploration of how a particular place or force in the landscape can initiate a profound psychological and sensorial experience. Powerful and transformative, the sea symbolically situates futility alongside serenity. Whether in a mythological or real sense, the sea impresses awe and wonderment upon the psyche. There is always the element of risk involved, as it is impersonal and contains the power to destroy in seconds.

The installation consists of a video projection, audio, water, pumps and mixed materials. The dimensions may vary but are ideal at 25 L x 12 W x 8 H feet. Two curtain walls constructed of double layers of clear plastic flank the video projection. Water is pumped to the top, flows through a perforated pipe spanning the length of the curtain walls and cascades down between the double layers of plastic in a continuous cycle. The inner space created by the walls immerses the viewer in a watery environment; the atmosphere is moist and cool and activated by the real time sound of flowing water. The video was captured in an area notorious for it’s wild and dramatic surf on the Pacific Coast in Washington State. Audio speakers are suspended and concealed overhead and transmit the roar and breaking waves of the sea.

Looped: 5 min.