The Earth,
The 3rd planet orbiting a class C star in a spiral galaxy. Abundant with a variety of resources.
Here in the North Eastern corner of North America one resource is so abundant some people play on it, some play with it, some curse it, some hide from it.
Water, in it's many forms affects our lives daily. We even call our world "The Water planet"
Currently on display on the opposite side of North America at the San Diego airport and on line is an exhibit called: Water in Focus . The exhibit is the result of a youth awareness & literacy project called Outside the lens. This San Diego based program calls youth to action around the globe as they document the existence, use, conservation and pollution of our most precious resource through words & images.
On a recent trip to one of the warm corners of America I was pulled out of a travelers fog by several huge 4' x 4' bold images of water. Airport art is often tapioca, never hard or soft always inconsistent. The Water in focus exhibit was different, powerful vibrant portraits along with water themed poetry & a variety of water factoids made this an oasis in an airport devoid of character and color. Visually & mentally stimulating I was enlightened to the abuse and problems we have with this apparently (to me) abundant resource.
Here are a few of the factoids listed:
It takes 25-50 gallons of water for a 5 minute shower.
To flush a toilet takes 2-7 gallons
To brush your teeth takes approximately 2 gallons of water.
To wash your cloths in a typical washing machine uses between 40 to 60 gallons of water!
1.1 billion people are with out access to clean water & that by 2025 a total of 5,300,000,000 (5.3 billion) folks are expected to suffer from water shortages.
Author Frank Herbert wrote the "Dune" series of books about a desert world that lacked water to the point that a tear held more value than a diamond. To paraphrase Herbert: The beginning of knowledge is when we take the time to discover something we do not fully understand.
Once again blame it on the art, just by stopping in on the exhibit Water in Focus my point of view has changed. Now I'm more likely to take a quick shower or shut the water off when brushing my teeth and not take for granted airport art or our most precious resource.
Why check out the
Water in Focus exhibit on line?
Because your good mind needs good art!
The images above are from the exhibit to see more of the over 2,000 photos click:
Water in Focus ,
for more information on this San Diego based program that is changing the way we view the world one photo at a time please follow this link. Outside the lens
The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community. The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio
Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine
90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/
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