Color Field Buoys create visual tension between how one sees the surface of natural environments and the myriad of underlying elements that underpin those environments. This approach is informed by my work as a research hydrologist where most water quality constituents occur at the levels unable to be discerned by the naked eye. Algal growth might be an exception to this rule but many constituents I’ve examined, such as caffeine, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products, occur at concentrations that initially become visible through chromatographic techniques.

Color field theory references chromatography which is one of the methods frequently used for analysis of water samples. As elements separate out on the color spectrum they become identifiable, thus these buoys represent a new way of examining the unseen elements of the environment that often go overlooked. Such elements can range in size from the atomic to the macroscopic; often we fail the see what may be evident before us. Or we need visual aids to remind us to look more closely or with a different intent.

Project for Art in its Natural State.

Canoe view of installation.