The body of work I will create for Marine Fog is conceptual landscape photographs that will allow the viewer to see imagined areas of mercury tainted fog on the image.  Through digital imaging processes, the photograph will be altered to show an image map, similar to a heat map, rendered in different color tones.  Because the toxicity of mercury is invisible, by changing the atmosphere’s natural color and highlighting the toxin, the viewer will become engaged with the substance as it is spread throughout the landscape.

By creating awareness of the invisible toxin through the use of photography, I will make visible a problem that requires a solution.  The goal is to visually capture the audience into thinking what is mercury and why is it so toxic and how can we create a solution to detoxify this metal? 

 

I intend to continue researching this topic and photograph important areas that cross-contaminate on the landscape such as the coastal area where fog is created, slowly spreading over the terrain infecting the plant and animal life. The images will be printed to create a photo-essay book that will document articles of current climate issues researched at UCSC and reimagined photographs depicting areas of contamination.