GULLY EROSION PROJECTS
“Orographic Shift” – gully erosion installation, Parque Lago de Umécuaro, Michoacán, Mexico
2017 | ceramic, glaze, steel, wood, Velcro | variable 2” x 82’
Orographic Shift is an Environmental Art sculpture installation I created to call attention to soil erosion occurring on natural watersheds that have been altered by human activities, such as land development and road construction. The work was installed on the sloping hill on a site where a recent rain storm had thoroughly washed out a roadway. When the road was initially built, the natural watershed was excavated without proper water diversion. With the disruption of the natural runoff, the inevitable draining water eventually found its way down, causing what’s commonly known as Gully Erosion. Gullies can be as shallow as a few inches or as deep as the Grand Canyon. When gully erosion develops, dramatic soil loss can occur in a single rainfall, and fertile top soils are carried away. Orographic Shift consists of 122 handmade glazed ceramic tiles, supported by small steel legs, arranged to resemble a subterranean stream in a meandering line formation descending the hill into the lake below. The blue and white alternating stripes represent climate shifts from excessive rainy periods to severe drought conditions. This project was designed to function as a temporary 3 to 4-week installation to raise awareness of soil losses from excessive erosion due to negligent human activities that have altered the natural ecosystem. Such erosion has led to increased pollution and sedimentation in the lake, causing declines in fish populations and other natural habitats.
