Flint changed its water source from Detroit to the Flint River in 2014, opening the floodgates of a crisis when this acidic water caused corrosion in pipes and contamination of tap water with rust and lead and bacteria. What are the historical and organizational behaviors that contributed to the crisis? How did the water become unsafe?
The art quilts and fabrics here express a visual lament of the breakdowns that contributed to the contamination of water for tens of thousands of people. Using dyeing, relief printing, monoprints, and resist printing, I create fabrics that explore the nature of the disintegration of protective coatings inside lead and iron pipes. Drips and tears express the sorrow of the affect lead poisoning will have on this communities for years to come. Water bottles signify the irony of one short-term cost of fixing this problem. Copper pipes and abstract natural vignettes explore themes of remediation and what a return to normal might look like.
Flint 12’s
12″x12″ raw-edged quilts express a visual lament, helping me express the frustrations of the breakdowns that happened and beginning to explore what repairing this looks like.
