17,000 coal fly-ash blocks
Atlantic Ocean, 40 miles from the New York Harbor
Ocean Landmark ,1978-1980, is a unique artwork that recycles waste, establishes a habitat for fish, continues to feed people, and is a
prototype for new industry.
Ocean Landmark is an underwater work on the floor of the Atlantic, made of 500 tons of processed coal-waste, a potential pollutant that has
undergone a planned transformation into a flourishing ecosystem-a lush underwater garden. The work was inspired by the potential of the continental
shelf and by a team of scientists experimenting to stabilize an industrial by-product in water. I proposed using their materials to create an
underwater sculpture, that when fished, would feed people.
17,000 coal fly-ash blocks were then fabricated, shipped to the ocean site, 40 miles from the New York Harbor and three miles off Fire Island
Seashore, and laid on the continental shelf. Ocean Landmark started to change at the point of its installation. It has grown and developed into a
productive new ecosystem over the years and continues to evolve. In fact, the work is listed as a "Fish Haven" on the NOAA
(National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) coastal navigational map.
There are no images of the now evolved artwork. Underwater photography is not useful in imaging the entire "body" of work because of the limited visibility of the underwater site. Current technology will enable me to image this work in its life giving, mature condition and in its entire form. Using global positioning satellite technology, the work will be located and images will be created through the use of underwater remote sensing and side scan sonar. Coded in the images of the now evolved underwater sculpture will be its progression as a sustaining environment for marine life and a thriving ecosystem. Link to VRML document of Ocean Landmark Project
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