Two old wash tubs with audio tape and digital photography on a platform with an iron chair on the opposite . On the seat of the chair rests a smoked herring. A transparent image of a swimmer is in each tub. Both are backlit and in one tub is the sound of river water and in the other is the sound of crashing waves from Lake Superior. This is about the cultural and human relationships to the water of Lake Superior.

This piece reflects the cultural and natural surroundings of Northern Minnesota, Lake Superior coastal region. The structure is built of beaver wood which represents the history of trapping. The iron deer represent earth and the iron mining on the Iron Range. The smoked herrings represent the main food source in the development of this region. Under this floating herring, beaver wood, and iron deer, there are two scooters on a rusted metal box. This represents time and the industrial revolution. The scooter is the most simplified machinery, two wheels, a steering handle, a board and a human leg to power it. A smoked herring is placed on each footrest of the scooter. This represents the preservation of the cultural heritage of this area

This work shows the concern about the safety of fresh water. The wheelbarrow symbolizes carrying the water into the future. It is tipped to the side and a photo transparency is placed in a way into the wheelbarrow. Its positioning implies that the swimmer is bracing himself in order not to be washed over the edge. The meaning of this is that conservation is in our hands to spoil the water or to make the decision to be responsible for future generations.

Next