Phytoplankton Diorama
San Francisco, CA
2018, Senior, Art
Reflection
Reflection
My jewelry diorama represents the 40% loss of the phytoplankton population in our ocean. I chose to express my thoughts about climate change through jewelry because it is a fluid and calm activity. I find it scary to think about climate change, and I think that through my diorama I was able to depict the status of phytoplankton in a hopeful way. The lively colors that appear on the elevated shapes represent the vibrant living phytoplankton in our ocean today, while the darkened metal base plate symbolizes the death of phytoplankton. I have learned that excess CO2 put into the atmosphere affects phytoplankton’s ability to obtain iron. Since they are the starting link of the food chain, their decline in population disrupts the rest of the ecosystem. My art piece aims to draw one’s attention and make the viewer wonder about what my message is about phytoplankton and start conversations. When I display my diorama, my goal is to talk to people who are curious about it and inform them about the importance of decreasing your personal carbon footprint. I want others to feel the same emotions I get when I think of organisms dying of starvation because phytoplankton are disappearing from our oceans.