| Summary: | There is something very compelling about using clay to spur discussions about climate change as it comes directly from the earth and contains memory of its past forms. It bears scars, cracks, and weaknesses, much like how the earth bears the mark of men. These works are each made by building up masses of clay before wiping, carving and cutting sections away from the larger form, leaving channels and ridges, not unlike the processes which formed the original material or continue to shape the earth. However, as a result of industrialized man-made climate change, many of the world’s glaciers and ice sheets are melting at an ever-increasing rate. In Greenland, standing water on top of glaciers absorbs heat from the sun, deepening meltwater channels to the bedrock and causing the glaciers to melt faster. This issue is accelerated by warm ocean water melting the ice from the bottom as hot air does the same from the top. This will wreak catastrophic damage on the environment, irreparably altering coastlines and wiping entire islands off the map. While the ice itself is ephemeral, this work serves as a snapshot in time of the permanent damage being done. Thesis (B.?)
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