Collapse
2010/12
Created in scientific collaboration with Todd Gardner, Jack Rudloe and Peter Warny.
Collapse is a sculptural response to the global crisis for the world’s fisheries and the threat of unraveling the Gulf of Mexico’s food-chain following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The pyramid of 26,162 preserved specimens represents 370 species of fish and other aquatic organisms collected from the Gulf Coast, a region of diverse fish species and of socio-economic importance. This pyramidal installation references the fragile interrelationships between aquatic species in the Gulf food chain. Empty jars represent species in decline or those that have already been lost to extinction. Collapse is a sculptural sketch that represents the Gulf of Mexico food chain starting with smaller life forms working its way up to the top with large predators.