Runoff

6’ x 2.5’ x 2.5’

Stoneware Clay

In Collaboration with Ken Genskow, Professor in the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin – Madison

My work, Runoff, is a sculptural fountain that reflects the hidden consequences of modern agriculture on our waterways. Inspired by the patterns of fertilized land and terraced fields, the fountain visualizes the path of chemical runoff as it travels from cultivated soil into creeks and rivers, disrupting fragile ecosystems along the way.

Through cascading flows and layered textures, the fountain embodies both the beauty and the danger of water in motion. This piece invites viewers to consider the interconnectedness of human activity and the natural world. The chemical-like coloration and the relentless movement of the water symbolize how excess fertilizers, pesticides, and other pollutants seep invisibly into streams, harming aquatic life and altering ecological balance.

Runoff is meant to be both contemplative and confrontational. It asks us to confront the unseen impacts of everyday agricultural practices and to reflect on our responsibility to care for the land and water. By transforming ecological disruption into a tangible, sensory experience, the fountain serves as a reminder that every choice we make on the land has ripple effects far beyond its borders.

Through this work, I hope to spark awareness, dialogue, and a deeper connection to the environments we often take for granted, reminding viewers that sustainability is not an abstract concept, it is a flowing, dynamic system that demands our attention.