BBL 2461 WEST

2021

Reclaimed wood from Hurricane Ida, three street tree guards, rope. Dimension vary. 2021.

The west side of BBL 2461 faces the Grand Concourse. In August of 2021, a large tree branch fell onto a parked car. For days the branch blocked traffic. After four days, someone cut the branch and placed it in segments on the sidewalk, but no entity or authority removed the branches, which now blocked pedestrian flow. Realizing the amount of wood, and the need for tree guards on the north half of the 900-block of the Grand Concourse, I made an improvised guard, utilizing the larges part of the branch as a seat.

Tree guards extend the life of street trees as well as beautify the neighborhood.

LIONFIXING

2021

Outdoor video screening, Untitled Art Fair, Special Project #1, Miami Beach, Florida, 2021

Documentary about invasive lionfish and rehabilitation houses in Florida.

 

LIONFISHING

2020

HD video, 20 minutes, 2020

A documentary about a scuba diving derby aimed to remove invasive lionfish in Pompano Beach, FL.

 
 

Scuba diving performance, 80 minutes, Pompano Beach, FL, 2019

Lionfish are an invasive species that were introduced into Florida waters by people who released them for aquaria. Since their introduction, their population has exploded and their impact on marine biodiversity has been extremely detrimental. With no predators in the Western hemisphere, and incredibly difficult to catch, lionfish are among the most concerning realities of animal trafficking. Their proliferation is startling and their domain is expanding further due to the rising temperatures of ocean waters.

As a means to reduce the population of this voracious fish and to protect native fish, marine biologists have partnered with dive shops to organize fishing derbies. These derbies do not stop the spread of lionfish, but result in sanctuaries for native species. While competing in the South Florida Diving Headquarter’s annual Lionfish Derby, I descended a hundred feet into the Atlantic to remove lionfish.

Read the project Travel Notes

LIONFISH DRAWINGS

2019

Lionfish are an invasive species that were introduced into Florida waters by people who released them for aquaria. On average, 45% of sea life is lost when lionfish inhabit a reef. With few predators in the Western Atlantic, and with reproduction rates as high as 30,000 eggs every four days, lionfish are considered one of the worst invasive problems facing biodiversity. In the last decade, this venomous fish has spread as far north as South Carolina and as far south as Brazil, ravaging the marine life of coral reefs. 

While competing in the South Florida Diving Headquarter’s annual Lionfish Derby, I descended a hundred feet into the Atlantic to remove lionfish. 

POKÉMON

2019

Pokémon, 7 inch [17.78 cm] diameter, polymer with 18 lionfish venomous spines, 2019

Set of 9, edition of 1 and artist proof.

Lionfish originate in the Indo-Pacific Region, including the waters of south east Japan. These pokémon sculptures merge the mass-produced characteristics of global trade, which has resulted in the spread of invasive species, with the biological material–the 18 venomous spines–taken from the lionfish.

THE LAW OF THE CONSERVATION OF VALUE, NO. 1

2019

Dutch Boy National lead paper weight, soil amendment to treat lead-polluted soil, cast iron balance scale, 20 x 15 x 10 inches [ 50,8 x 38,1 x 25,4 cm], 2019

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the United States was the largest lead-producer in the world. Lead was manufactured for industrial and commercial purposes. As a paint additive, lead decreased dry time, enhanced durability and resisted moisture. In combustion engines, tetraethyllead functioned as an anti-knocking agent, improving the fuel’s octane rating The former technology localized lead around homes and buildings, the latter spread lead pollution along roads and highways. Today, the cities where lead was manufactured and used struggle to address the ubiquity of lead toxicity through the development of new technologies.

ILLINOIS RIVER PROJECT

2006-Present

Catching invasive fish in Illinois River, Invasive fish decomposition, fishbone meal, soil testing, environmental remediation in South Bronx, 2006-2018

Artist photobook, 100 pages, 17 x 11 inches [43,1 x 29,7 cm], 2017

The Illinois River Project is an interdisciplinary project that aims to better the lives of individuals with a criminal record through confronting the ecology of the Illinois River, generating compost and clean up polluted soil. These seemingly disparate issues are actually intimately related and, I believe, are cyclically intertwined. It is my artistic advantage to work with and across different sectors and constituents that I believe will make a meaningful impact to each of these circuits.

Read More

(FRAGMENT OF THE) EMPIRE KANAL

2018

HD video, 20 minutes, 2018. English.

When the City of Graz, Austria attempted to address the issue of untreated wastewater entering the Mur River, by building a water storage unit, the Zentraler Speichererkanal, protest erupted in opposition. Various factions took aim at how the project was funded, the environmental costs and the form of the solution. Capturing the contention of infrastructure projects, (Fragment) of the Empire Kanal presents portraits of people who adamantly disagree about the best ecological solution to wastewater.

ILRP : DISTRIBUTION PROTOTYPE #1.1 PLAYGROUND 134

2017-2018

Fishbone meal intervention in polluted toxic soil in the South Bronx

Playground 134 is adjacent to a congested freeway and soil tests reveal almost four times the maximum level of lead that the EPA deems safe. Children play here, exposed to toxic soil, a modest improvement from the decades of exposure to leaded gasoline fumes. By integrating fishbone meal at this site, the lead molecules become no longer bio-available. However, much more fishbone is required to address the problem of urban soil exposed to decades of pollution. 

DISINTEGRATING TROPHY

2017

Gyotaku (ink on Japanese rice paper), 33.5 x 18 inches [ 85 x 45.75 cm], series of 5, 2017

AGRO-ALCHEMY

2017

Black soldier fly larva and flies in resin, 11 dia x 0.5 inches [29,5 dia x 1 cm], 2017

Black soldier flies have gained status as a rapid waste processor, replacing other forms of composting and vermicultures at agriculture sites. The byproduct is applicable as soil amendment; the larva serve as chicken feed; as a source of protein, they are being tested for human consumption.

The black soldier flies are positioned in the alchemist symbol, the squaring of the circle, from larva to pupa to fly. The lifespan of a black soldier fly is about 6 weeks. The specimens used were non-vital.

ILRP : ACQUISITION PROTOTYPE PROTOTYPE #3.1 VÓ BÈ

2016

Bamboo, fishing net, 28 x 6 x 18 feet [8,53 x 1,82 x 5,48 m], 2016

Traditional Việt fishing apparatus constructed and donated to a community pond in Củ Chi, Việt Nam

Video

ILRP : ACQUISITION PROTOTYPE #2.1 NEAR-SIGHTED PORCUPINE

2016

Football pads with fishing spears, jetski helmet, 3D camera, 50 watt megaphone, media player with sine wave audio track, fishing net, 2016

Prototype #2, River Rat, is a wearable solution to invasive carp in the Illinois waterway. Part defense, part solution for reducing the overpopulation of invasive carp that jump from the water, River Rat is an inexpensive and practical suit.

Presented

Redneck Fishing Tournament
Bath, Illinois
July 2016

 

ILRP : CONVERSION PROTOTYPE #2.2 ACQUATIC VERMICULTURE

2016

Mosquito net, black soldier flies, plastic container, Speedrail, 35 gallon aquarium, convict cichlids, sump pump, PVC pipe, fluorescent daylight bulbs, fluorescent black light, light timer, heart-shaped philodendron, refrigerator, invasive carp, extension cords, 2016

A system that breaks down invasive carp bodies, feeds fish, cleans water with hydroponic plants

 

ACQUISITION PROTOTYPE #1.2 REPRODUCIBLE VEHICLE AT ANY NEARBY HOME DEPOT STORE

2015

Aluminum jon boat with additional fish-catching apparatus, wooden saw horses, 24 x 17 x 12 feet [7,3 x 5,2 x 3,6 m], 2015

Prototype #1 for catching sound-activated flying invasive Hypophthalmichthys molitrix.

The outboard motor scares the carp, causing them to leap from the water. Those which encounter the harp on the bow of the bow pound into the boat, turning the entire vessel into an acoustic device. The stake-studded protrusions present a wall of defense from the flying fish. This prototype is budgeted to be replicable for under $1,000 USD with components from the national chain Home Depot®. Lightweight and collapsible, prototype 1.2 is comprised primarily of aluminum. 

Anyone can download the instructions to make this vehicle here.

 

HG CYGLE

2015

Gold, cinnabar, mercury thermostat, fish roe, NYC rain water, human ashes, bricks from factories that smelt lead, plexiglass, 8 x 2.75 x 6 inches [20,32 x 5,08 x 15,24 cm], 2015

The included materials are sourced from the production, by-production, absorption and biomagnification of mercury’s through its cycle on planet earth.