Pond Drawings
By Mark Batongmalaque, Algae(s) and Pond Life(s)

Started on: 04/17/06 23:09:27
Medium: Visual

I will bottle 10 jars of pond water. The bottles will be marked 1-10 and will be placed on a window sill for the duration of the quarter. As each week progresses, I will empty the jars' contents out onto a high quality watercolor paper in a shallow basin and allow the water to evaporate, hopefully leaving a design on the paper from the growth of whatever is in the pond water. I have high hopes that the drawings will become increasingly greener as time goes on.
[Write Comment]
Project Updates
05/01/06 21:31:43 - failed attempt

my first attempt to obtain pond water was too difficult and I decided to abort and rethink my technique. The location where I was going to obtain the water was too treacherous. I am building a device to make it easier and I am reconsidering my location. I realized that there is a small pond outside of the grad studios that is frequented by all typesof animals and does not have the salt water inlet of the laggoon.

[Write Comment]
05/09/06 07:04:43 - like watching paint dry

the first drawing is done and a picture will be posted soon. It seems too early to tell if anything is happening inside the jar. I will wait a few more days to see if the organisms have exasperated the oxygen in the water, and then consider opening the jars. I will engage in a test on a seperate sampling of pond water. I also wonder if my source is affecting things. I am considering my options and depending on the next weeks outcome, will alter my approach

[Write Comment]
05/22/06 22:23:08 - oh the bitterness of failure

so, the whole pond drawing thing did not work out. The water did not turn green enough. I dipped the paper in the small pond outside of Harder and got the same results. I even tried different paper. I have pondered (pun intended) getting the green sludge from the lagoon, but that is very unappealing to me and grosses me out. but maybe I'll overcome that, but as it is I am sitting on 6 jars of pond water. I am thinking of what to do with them and wonder about incorporating the remains of this project into the captivity project. So I am officially scrapping this project , but I will post the pictures that I have once they are taken. The rain rewet my paper before they were fully dried.
I like the idea of using microbes in work. Stemming from Lisa's sugestion to drink the pond water and see what it does, and also from the ideas of traps and danger, I have become curious with the idea of poisons, especially natural occuring ones, and viruses and bacterias. Apricot pits contain trace amounts of poison, and could theoretically be deadly if enough are eaten. I understand the dangers of researching poisons and diseases, and the dangers of even implying interest into them. I will walk cautiously if I go down that path.
What was interesting was the fact that all this junk seperated from the water and collected on the bottom. I wonder if it is the dead remains of the stuff that was alive at one point?

[Write Comment]