SEA LEVEL RISE

“Aquametric Markers”

2020 | ceramics, glaze, zip ties, and steel | variable, 14″ x 8′ ea.

Aqua Metric Markers is a sculpture and performance project I created to install in the water on prominent public locations along the shorelines of San Francisco Bay in places prone to tidal flooding. I began exhibiting these units in public on October 17th, 2020. During extremely high tide events, I installed the work adjacent to a pedestrian path parallel to Route One in Mill Valley California. The performative aspect of the work is experienced by viewers passing by who witnessed the installation and de-installation of the work in the water during the flow and ebb of the tides. This project’s purpose is to call attention to rising ocean levels, question our preconceptions of climate change, and help communities to visualize the potential impact on coastal environments. The aesthetic appeal of these large-scale public sculptures that also gauge tidal levels will function as a highly noticeable document of actual inundation occurring nearby commercial and residential developments.

During King tides events that happen twice a year in this region, the public will be encouraged to take photos of the tidal inundation with or without the flooded markers and post their images online through the California Coastal Commission’s King Tides Project app. This social media platform will serve as a forum for a larger national and global conversation on the issue and a record of change for future generations.

Click to expand Sea Level Rise poster  |  Click to expand King Tides poster

Read feature in the Pacific Sun, 11/3/20

Read feature in the San Francisco Chronicle, 11/15/20

View video interview with Jeff Downing from Marin MOCA

Listen to KQSD interview, 1/10/21