FARM FOUNTAIN
Another Artist that caught my attention was Amy Youngs. When I visted her website the first piece that caught my eye was Farm Fountain, a project Young did in collaboration with Ken Rinaldo. I thought that it was incredible that they were able to create an indoor ecosystem that is not only an efficient way to grow and raise food but that also looks spectacular. The system uses 2-liter plastic bottles to grow plants and to recycle air and water throughout the system and into the fish tank.
So far, the plants and fish Youngs has grown “include lettuces, cilantro, mint, basil, tomatoes, chives, parsley, mizuna, watercress and tatsoi. The Tilapia fish in this work are also edible and are a variety that have been farmed for thousands of years in the Nile delta.” Source
What I think I most appreciated about Young’s ecosystem was the fact that even though it was art, it was still a very useful product. When people think of art they often think
of a traditional sculpture or painting that is really for viewing only and isn’t interacted with. However, Youngs’ piece is not only interactive but alive and growing. Everyday the piece changes and helps to feed the people that use it.I feel as though an important element in this piece that I am especially drawn to is the use of light. Although the use light serves a practical purpose, growing the plants, it also serves as a connection from the plants to the fish. Because all the plants are illuminated, they are visually connected. This helps to emphasize the important idea that nature is connected, an idea that is already strongly represented in the fountain’s ability to thrive as a self-contained ecosystem.
Young states that her work is created to reflect how technology changes and effects both nature and humans. Also she explores how we shape and idealize nature as humans by using technology. Source
FarmFountain
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