Brown Waters, 2021
10" x 7" x 8"
Stoneware, ^6 glaze
"Brown Waters" is a ceramic incense burner that contrasts nature and pollution, functionality and environmental responsibility. The piece aims to confront the viewer with the effects of their actions on the environment, specifically in the realm of pollution. The waters are brown and muddy to reflect the rivers and lakes that become gross and polluted by trash, chemicals, and waste. As the viewer lights the incense, they can visually see the flow of smoke pollution which comes from cars, trucks, factories, and other man-made intervention. With each cone they light, they are forced to consider their actions and the effects of them, since incense is a major contributor to indoor air pollution.
While big corporations and factories contribute the most to air pollution, it is important that everyone stops and reflects on their own contributions to environmental degradation. Every individual contributes to waste and pollution and "Brown Waters" serves as a reminder to stop and reflect before we potentially contribute more to it.