Artist: Eve Mosher
Year created: 2007
Location: New York City, USA
Materials: Chalk, conversation
What is the piece’s impact? The piece left 70 miles of a blue chalk line at the point of 10-feet above sea level in the city of New York, as well as illuminated beacons in parks. The public process of creating this work allowed her to engage in a dialogue on the impacts of climate change. A virtual tour of the project is available here.
“The line marks the extent of increased flooding brought on by stronger and more frequent storms as a result of climate change….As I was out in the public creating the work, I had a chance to engage in conversations about climate change and its potential impacts.” (source)
How does this project relate to this change as art? The piece left a visible, though not permanent, mark on the city, helping those who understood it’s significance to better visualize the potential impacts of climate change. The project will be repeated in other cities, including Miami and London. Open source tools are being developed in order to engage others in the process of climate change awareness raising.
What makes this an artistic project? This project was initiated and carried out by an artist known to work in the art of environmental art.
Notes: For more information on the expansion of the project, visit http://www.highwaterline.org/. The artist recently released the HighWaterLine Action Guide, which is available for free download here.