Reflection

Reflection

In my piece “Obscure,” I focused on the impact climate change has made on coral reefs, exploring coral bleaching and depleting fish populations. For inspiration, I looked to paint-by-number art pieces and ocean animal species native to the Great Barrier Reef. I was also inspired by “Our Changing Seas III” by Courtney Mattison, a ceramic coral structure showing the devastating effects of coral bleaching. The hand and paintbrush represent how human actions directly impact climate change. When the hand paints, white “paint” transforms into blank numbered sections, invading the colorful fish and coral. Instead of the original concept of paint-by-number pieces, where color replaces white sections, white is seen replacing color. This represents coral bleaching, destruction of reef structure, and extermination of fish species. The “paint-by-number” sections are numbered dating back to industrialization when fossil fuels began to be burned rapidly. As the hand keeps on painting, color is lost, and the dates increase. The future dates represent the continued destruction of coral reefs due to climate change and how we could continue to hurt our oceans if changes are not made. Through my exploration of climate change, I learned that climate change affects all ocean environments, has expanded to all forms of ocean life and our lives as well. Climate change is very concerning, but I do think that the more people become educated and aware about the problem, the more we can act in ways to protect the oceans and Earth.