LEIGHTON - BRIEF

The Drop: Causes the viewer to question how they are polluting the oceans, in light of oil and power usage. The artifact consists of a metal chain which is pulled, it then releases the drop which hits a sensor and releases red LED lights.

The Ocean covers more than 70% of our Earth and provides weather, clean air, and provides food for the world. However, 706 million gallons of waste oil enters the ocean each year. When the oil first enters the ocean it spreads in the water and depending on the conditions, waves will move it throughout. The oil waste poisons sensitive marine life which interrupts the food chain which fish and other animals depend on. Finally, we are a large contributor to this problem because, in 2017, we used 7.28 billion gallons of oil, which is around 20 million barrels of oil per day. The Drop provides an abstract representation of the harm the human race is doing to the Ocean.

Composed using LED lights to create a ripple effect, the Drop represents how just “one drop” of oil will affect the lives of marine life. The viewer will interact with the artifact by releasing the chain which will allow the drop to hit the sensor and turn the beautiful blue lights to red. The acrylic box the lights are in cause them to reflect up and appear as a ripple. They are originally blue to represent what was once a clean ocean and then turns to red once the oil strikes. This portrays the damage people are doing to their oceans by being consumers, using gas, power, and pollution.

ALEX - BRIEF

It is estimated that 1.3 million gallons of oil is spilled into the ocean each year; Drip is a conceptual art piece that is designed to raise awareness about oil that annually enters the ocean through spills. The design is made out of plexiglass, which is sanded, to mimic the blurry ocean. A strand of LED lights arranged in the shape of a wave is attached beneath the first layer of plexiglass to show how one drop of oil can cause a long ripple of damage upon the ocean. This is an art piece that represents how everyday life leaves a long-lasting carbon footprint on the ocean; slowly damaging the habitat of marine life.

Crude oil is essential for many industries that rely on an endless demand for power for their electronic machines. In an effort to profit from consumers, many industries fail to acknowledge the immense impact on other species around them. The piece is not confined to a demographic; instead, Drip aims to raise awareness, among all consumers about the immense amount of oil spilled into our ocean and their responsibility for the damage it causes.