Upstream, 2015
Cast paper, monofilament, approximately 3 ft x 12 ft.
Redwood Creek, the stream that runs through Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, CA, has enormous environmental significance: the rainbow trout native to its waters have been cross-bred with other struggling trout populations throughout the US. The endemic trout are a genetically pure population that is under critical study in order to reveal new understandings about trout populations. With California’s extreme drought, this fragile and significant population is currently at risk.
Upstream engaged audiences through a surprise encounters with the incongruity of seeing fish out of water. With the proximity of depleted Redwood Creek nearby, it asked viewers to contemplate the effects of drought on the ecosystem. This installation takes its name from the way fish swim against the current to spawn, and also evokes the continuous struggle for ecological equilibrium.
Click on any image below to enlarge and open a slideshow.
