Installation view. Poisoned Well consists of a transparent tank filled with water. The names of the 70 most toxic chemicals used in hydro fracking, those that have 10 or more negative health affects, are silkscreen printed onto a roll of water soluble paper. The roll is suspended over the transparent tank. A slowly rotating motor lowers the paper into the water tank. Upon touching the water, the paper dissolves and the text, which does not dissolve, cascades to the bottom. Over a period of days a build up of letters and cloudy paper pulp accumulates at the bottom of the tank, making clearly visible the seemingly invisible potential negative effects of hydro fracking on human health.
At the end of the exhibition the accumulated pulp and text is bottled as "Produced water" (the name of fracked waste water).

text cascading to the bottom of the tank, upon touching water.

Hydraulic fracturing is now being practiced or proposed in 31 states. Local bans on fracking are routinely overturned, brushing aside the consent of the right of self governance. Proponents of hydraulic frackturing tout its potential to make the United States the world's largest oil producer. Even if that was true, at what costs to the environmental and human health? Jobs today, cancer tomorrow. Are we really that short sighted? Fracking uses more than 700 chemicals and compounds, some of them proprietary, thus secret.
Poisoned Well highlights 70 of the most toxic chemicals used in hydro fracking. Each one of these chemicals has 10 or more negative health affects.
I'd like to thank the Puffin Foundation for supporting this project.

Text dissolving upon coming in contact with water.

Detail of installation - paper dissolving and text cascading to the bottom of the tank after touching water.

Detail of installation - paper dissolving and text cascading to the bottom of the tank after touching water.

'Produced water' holds remains from the tank, what remains after the paper dissolves.