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Elemental Wasteland

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A visual documentation of the four elements and pollution. Created for my Senior Thesis Exhibition of 2013.

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ELEMENTAL WASTELAND

Contents

Introduction

The Four Elements

Pollution

Make a Difference

Artistic Inspiration

2

3

9

18

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Elemental Wasteland is a visual narrative about the effects pollution has on man kind and the planet Earth.

Inspired by the four elements: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire, Elemental Wasteland is meant to be a conceptual display of the juxtaposition between the beauty of life, and destruction man kind is capable of causing.

Please don’t misunderstand, this project is not about glamorizing pollution, but rather it is meant to be a commentary on how we’re destroying the beautiful aspects of the world we live in through our actions.

Inspired through photography, cinema, and the use of light, the imagery presented is meant to be compelling, yet give the viewer a feeling of unsettlement.

Overall this journey has been a personal one to discover the effects of human actions on the world, a journey in the photography application, as well to learn the importance of the elements and how they are essential to man kinds survival.

Introduction

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The Four Elements, in classical Greek science are the basic components of all matter on Earth. Originally it was believed that everything in the universe was composed of the Four Elements, and the elements could exist with different attributes, as well as in different states.1 The Four Elements were as

follows: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. It was the Greek philosopher Empedocles who established the idea of the Four Elements.2 The symbols used in this project for these elements originate with the ancient Greeks, and were later to be used as alchemical symbols throughout history.3

The Four Elements

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The first element is Air - as defined : a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and minute amounts of other gases that surrounds the earth and forms its atmosphere.4 These gases are essential for all living and breathing organisms to survive. Without our atmosphere and clean oxygen, all life on Earth

would face extinction and would in turn cease to exist. Finding a clean alternative to energy use to keep our air safe and uncontaminated is of the essence for the future.

The symbol that is represented for Air is an upward triangle with a line drawn through the middle.

Air

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The second element is Water - as defined: a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, a compound of hydrogen and oxygen that in a more or less impure state constitutes rain, oceans, lakes, and rivers.5

Vital for all forms of life, water covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface in some state.6 Being able to

have a steady supply of safe drinking water is essential, however even today with the improvements that have been made, still almost 1.1 billion people lack access to clean water.7

The symbol that is represented for Water is an upside down triangle.

Water

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The third element is Earth, also known as the land, trees, rocks, and soil. Earth has many different definitions, however in this case, the one that best applies is the dry surface of this planet as distinguished from sea or sky; land; ground.8 Earth is the principle foundation for all living humans and provides humans with materials in which to survive and live. For this project

however, the focus will remain solely on the forestry of the world. Forests are an essential part to the world, but many do not know the impact that cutting down forestry has on the environment.

The symbol that is used to represent Earth is an upside down triangle with a line drawn through the middle.

Earth

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The last and final element is Fire. Fire is defined as: a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off light, heat, and flame.9 The control of fire was a turning point in evolution for it allowed many to cook and provided protection from predators.10 Today, fire is used for cooking, hunting, steaming,

the burning of fuels, for warmth, transportation, and many other uses. Although naturally, fire is a beautiful and helpful element, it is also an element that man can use for destruction, and leads to the next topic: pollution.

The symbol that is used for fire is a solid triangle that points upward.

Fire

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So what is pollution, really? Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment.11 Human pollution can come in many forms, from harmful gas emissions, chemical waste, to even urban light contamination. The focus for my thesis will be specific forms of pollution including smog, litter and oil pollution, deforestation, and fossil fuel consumption. All of these forms of contamination that have been chosen are directly correlated to one of the elements as inspiration discussed previously. From my overall research I have discovered that pollution is responsible for millions of deaths a year, due to lack of clean air, water and soil for proper living.

Pollution

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Smog and urban air pollution is caused by several factors and is a serious detriment to humans and the natural world. Smog is smoke or other atmospheric pollutants combined with fog in an unhealthy or irritating mixture.12 The term is a mixture of smoke and fog and is often used to describe the thick atmosphere often caused due to harmful emissions that occur in the ozone.

More specifically, this type of smog is called photochemical, and occurs in urban areas and is often highly toxic due to the oxidizing chemicals.

Human pollutants that cause smog can often include

automobiles, factories, chemical solvents, and power plants. While each form of pollution is detrimental on its own, all of these forms are connected and one directly affects another.

Through air pollution, we are also harming the water

and soil, and so on. Harmful gases fill the air, these chemicals come through the rain, and then the soil is affected for farming and animals. This is an important factor to consider that no action goes without consequence.

Smog

According to the World Health

Organization, an approximate total

of 1.3 million deaths are caused due

outdoor urban air pollution each year.

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Improper dumping (litter) and oil pollution play a major contribution to the contamination of the world’s water. Litter can often include chemical pollutants, marine debris, and trash. Plastics, paper, food waste, and other forms of trash that contaminate water can distribute harmful chemicals to animals and humans if ingested.

Bottled water is a major factor in trash due to inadequate recycling, as well

as it takes 17 million barrels of oil in the production of bottled water. North Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.13 The crude oil that it takes to produce this trash

is one of the most important yet detrimental substances to the environment that man utilizes on a day to day basis. Also referred to as petroleum, crude oil is petroleum as it comes from the ground before it is refined.14 Petroleum is used in a natural or refined state as fuel, and can be distilled to use as gasoline, kerosene, and other forms of energy.

Petroleum refining has become one of the world’s most regulated industries,

and there are approximately

80 million barrels processed

every day in the world.15

Overall these substances are not only hurting our environment but in the long run the Earth will become nothing more than a wasteland filled with trash if a proper take on recycling is not addressed in the future.

Litter and Oil

In the world right now, 1.1 billion people

lack access to a clean supply of water,

and as a result almost 1.6 million

people die every year.

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Deforestation is the clearing or thinning of trees and forestry, and is often caused by human activity and is now one of the largest issues regarding land use.16

Deforestation can include clear-cutting of trees for agriculture, logging for the timber and wood, as well as wildfires.

The need for deforestation is often for paper products, daily human needs that come from the wood, and agriculture.

Trees and forestry can absorb greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels that increase global warming.

By cutting down massive amounts of the forested

areas however, the temperatures around the world are constantly increasing due to the gas emissions. According to the World Wildlife Federation, approximately 50 million square miles of forest are lost each year, equivalent to 36 football fields every minute.

Through their research they have discovered the world’s rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation.17

Deforestation

According to the World Wildlife Federation,

the world’s rain forests could completely

vanish in a hundred years at the

current rate of deforestation.

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The last form of pollution for my thesis is the consumption of fossil fuels. Fire is an element which can be used as a destructive force and humans consume fossil fuels more than any other source of energy in the world. There are three major forms of fossil fuels which include oil, natural gas, and coal.

Instances such as the Industrial Revolution and the burning of fossil fuels lead to the turn of how fire was used, and has lead to the technology and factories which contribute to pollution.

The burning of fossil fuels produces around 21.3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, but it is

estimated that natural processes can only absorb about half of that amount.18

The by-products created from using these fossil fuels such as gasoline, propane, lubricants, and hundreds more are just a few that humans’ use day to day that contribute to pollution. The U.S. alone depends on 82

percent of fossil fuels for

energy use, according

to the US Energy

Information Administration.19

Cutting down on the consumption of fossil fuels and supporting research in an alternative energy is the direction that humans need to take so that we are not so dependent on these harmful substances.

Fossil Fuel Consumption

The U.S. alone depends on 82 percent of

fossil fuels for energy use, according to the

US Energy Information Administration.

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There are many ways and actions that can be taken to help with each of these issues discussed.

First of all, a few steps that can be taken to help with pollution include carpooling, walking, riding a bike, or even recycling products (this conserves energy and decreases gas emissions).

For water pollution, the disposing of chemicals and hazardous wastes properly can also help. Cleaning up roadside trash and throwing out garbage properly will keep dangerous materials out of the water supply.

Reducing the usage of chemicals and pesticides will also help keep the soil and water clean.

Supporting any organization that deals

with helping to support a cleaner world is also another helpful way that someone could become involved in to better the future. Such organizations can include but are not limited to: the World Wildlife Federation, Greenpeace International, The Nature Conservancy, and many others.

Phrases such as reduce, reuse, recycle are very helpful, and even just the smallest acts can lead to big changes. Use this phrase in daily activities to make the most of efficient living.

Investing in cleaner forms of energy when possible (such as solar and wind powered equipment) and investing in energy efficient products will help in the future to cut on harmful emissions and contamination.

How can we make a difference?

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Using environmentally friendly products, reporting illegal dumping, and even using water based paints are all ways that anyone can help with the pollution and overall lead to a better life for the world.

Conserve energy - turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.

Never put anything but clean water into a gutter, open drainage ditch, or down a storm drain. These all lead to our rivers, creeks, lakes, and ocean, with no water quality treatment along the way.

If possible, composting yard and kitchen waste can help eliminate how much trash ends up in landfills.

As you can see, there are many ways that an individual can help cut down on the pollution in the world. Small actions that are taken every day can lead to big changes when those are informed about the issues and solutions.

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Artistic Inspiration

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In my research for this project, several films and sources of media were used for inspiration. A film called “Koyaanisqatsi” by Godfrey Reggio, “Waste Land” by Lucy Walker and Vik Muniz, and “Manufactured Landscapes” by Edward Burtynsky were all helpful in inspiring the final result in my presentation.

The initial inspiration for my thesis project was a music video created by Lindsey Stirling titled “Elements”. The beauty in which each of the Four Elements were handled really inspired me throughout this entire project to create artwork that was both visually stunning as well as telling about pollution.

Upon further research, I found other art campaigns that expressed this same

visual style which include a photography series titled “Water and Oil” by Steven Meisel, as well as a campaign by Greenpeace called “Toxic Threads”. They each juxtapose beautiful imagery with destructive environments to show that the beauty of the world is being destroyed through human careless actions.

All of these sources were a driving force in the final production and presentation of my imagery, and how the compositions were approached.

Through the images and design, I wanted to convey a message that we need to take better care of our natural resources.

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For the first image “Air”, I wanted to create an image that was overall very smog-like and hazy. Efforts were made to find an area where I could get close enough to a smog producing factory, however it was difficult to get close enough for the composition I desired.

Ideally a dying tree was substituted because in reality, when the harmful emissions in the air are unable to be filtered, not only does it affect humans

but the environment as well. I wanted to show a beautiful woman that has been forced to wear a respirator because the air is no longer clean to breathe.

The atmosphere was thought about in terms of death and decay, so I decided to take the image in front of a dying tree. The light in this image was overcast, which was purposeful to help create and intensify the aspects of smog, haze, and decay.

Air

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Water

For the water image, the focus of pollution is litter and oil, so I decided to take a picture in a lake and recreate the aspects of pollution I had seen before. In order to get a sense of oil, syrup was used and covered on the body.

I tried to avoid any logos on the trash that I used by removing labels and facing the trash down so as not to distract from the image. In Adobe Photoshop, I modified the colors to pull the blues, blacks, and whites out to

emphasize the oil in the water and to intensify the color of skin to make it appear the model was dead.

I wanted this image to be symbolic of an animal being washed up to shore from the contaminants that are often times in water to create the idea that we are swimming in filth. The light in this photo was midday; however I found a shaded area to better control contrast and shadows throughout the image.

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For the fire image, I wanted to create a composition that reflected a play on words. The pollution that was focused on was “Fossil Fuel Consumption” so I used a cow skull to represent the fossil, and enhanced fire in the background as the source of fuel.

The oil and by-products which come from these sources of fuel drench my skin to show that I am being consumed by the destruction

and the nature of living. These sources of energy are so vital to man I wanted to focus on the consequence and consumption aspects that come with careless use.

In Adobe Photoshop, I enhanced the colors black, red, and yellow to really make the oil, fire, and skull stand out. The use of light was used through the fire to create an illuminated backdrop for the subject.

Fire

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In the Earth image, I decided to take an image out in a forested area. Humans use lumber for a number of by-products, and in this image I wanted the newspaper to feel like a hand slowly consuming the tree.

The use of newspaper is meant to signify the end result of this deforestation and how we consume so many trees without realizing the consequence on the environment.

Browns, grays, greens and blacks were used to signify once again this feeling of death and destruction. Neutral tones help to reflect earth and nature overall.

I used a small pop of color in the symbol of the green to symbolize what once was of the deforested area.

Earth

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1: http://www.hometrainingtools.com/

four-elements/a/1392/

2:http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/

empedocles/

3:http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/

encyclopedia/Hellenic_civilization/

4:http://dictionary.reference.com/

browse/air?s=t

5: http://dictionary.reference.com/

browse/water?s=t

6: https://www.cia.gov/library/

publications/the-world-factbook/

7: http://worldwildlife.org/threats/

pollution

8: http://dictionary.reference.com/

browse/earth?s=t

9:http://dictionary.reference.com/

browse/fire?s=t

10:http://www.dieoff.org/page137.htm

11:http://dictionary.reference.com/

browse/pollution?s=t

12: http://dictionary.reference.com/

browse/smog?s=t

13: http://www.green-networld.com/

facts/waste.htm

14: http://dictionary.reference.com/

browse/petroleum?s=t

15: http://www.britannica.com/

search?query=petroleum

16: http://www.britannica.com/

EBchecked/topic/155854/

deforestation

17: http://worldwildlife.org/threats/

deforestation

18: http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/1605/

ggccebro/chapter1.html

19: http://www.

instituteforenergyresearch.org/

energy-overview/fossil-fuels/

Resources

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Artistic Inspiration Credits:

1: Lindsey Stirling “Elements”

2: Godfrey Reggio: “Koyaanisqatsi”

3: Vik Muniz: “Wasteland”

4: Steven Meisel: “Oil and Water”

5: Greenpeace and Surfrider: “Toxic

Thread” and Campaign Resource

All design and photography

by: Vanessa Kern

Spring 2013 Thesis Exhibition

Elemental Wasteland

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