Greta Wong | spring 2017 HAA 96B Connections studio
This project represents two dynamic oyster processes that shape the ecology of sea life beyond the specimen itself: the annual filtration of sea water and the topography of the ocean floor. Oysters actively assist with aquatic filtration. Their participation at differing levels throughout the seasons dramatically impact the opacity of sea water, the ability for sun to pass through, and, in turn, the seasons of other sea life. This secret life spectrum of oyster seasons and its correspondence with aquatic transparency is tracked in the first image. This integration with sea life extends to the exterior of the oyster as well. Oyster shells are created cumulatively over time. Mapping the contours and profiles of an oyster’s shell reveals micro-contours that coincide with the topography of the ocean floor. The small shell becomes a mini map recording changes in currents and accretion at the bottom of a much bigger sea.
