Patrick Viruel (1996, USA)

Gradual Decline, 2019

Acrylic containers, water, food coloring, PTFE tape

55” H x 60” W x 2” D  675 Pieces

The issue of ocean health is no new topic to us. So why is it that so many people look the other way when it comes to taking responsibility and action? Sadly we are all guilty of being contributors to the unhealthy decline of the ocean. Everyday pollutants like single use plastic to larger scale pollutants like oil spills all take a toll on the ocean and cause damage to the ecosystem. I’m sure we have all heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch but do we all know that in the Gulf of Mexico, Taylor Energy has had an ongoing oil leak spewing oil into the Gulf for now fifteen years. That is unacceptable! Change is necessary, we are witnessing the Gradual Decline of our oceans first hand and it is up to us to make the change for the future of our planet.

Gradual Decline, is a reflection of the impact we as a species are doing to our own home. It is a reflection of the toll you, me, and everyone take on our environment. Just like a timeline, you can see the past, present, and future states of the oceans’ health represented within the gradation. I choose to use a gradation to talk about the subject of the declining health of our oceans because it is a visual representation of change. Just like our oceans we can see the changes happening because of our actions. The transition has begun from a colorful, bright, and healthy ocean to the dark and gloomy future the ocean may face. You as the viewer stand center stage with a choice to represent your awareness of the problem. One container in the gradation alone is just a color. It takes all of them to create the change we want to see. We have to voice our opinions and take action to lessen our impact and revive the ocean. Together we can create change and be proactive before we do irreparable damage. If we talk about it and share the topic of ocean pollution we can make sure that it is not pushed aside and forgotten.