Lead Exposure Series

Gretchen Pruett, American, born 1987

Lead Exposure Series, 2016

Gretchen Pruett’s watercolor paintings were a part of an exhibit at the Buckham Gallery, which featured local artists from Flint, Michigan, and their artistic expressions surrounding the water crisis. The Buckham Gallery is a non-profit organization that supports the local art community in Flint. Pruett’s paintings feature images of body parts that have been affected by the lead in the local water. As a model for the images, she used original medical imaging from residents, and her backlit watercolor paintings are realistic expressions of this imaging. The main purpose of choosing such a subject was to bring awareness to the dangerous side effects residents have suffered from the lead poisoned water and demonstrating how critical it is that Flint residents have access to stronger medical relief and protection. Label by Maeve Marsh

Flint is Family Series

LaToya Ruby Frazier, American, born 1982

Flint is Family, 2016

This image depicts the young child of Shea Cobb, a lifelong resident of Flint, Michigan. After the citizens in Flint became aware of the contamination of the water supply, many families were forced to avoid their taps entirely in order to avoid the poison that was contained in the water. In this image, the young girl is using bottled water to brush her teeth instead of the tap water. Due to the contamination, clean water turned from a standard utility to a vital resource that needed to be rationed. The sparkle that appears in her eyes highlights the natural relationship all living beings have with water as our sustenance. Her overall demeanor seems excited, and more than anything, natural. There is a certain sinister nature to this image in that we know as humans that our interaction with water is not something we would like to contemplate and is often something those who have access to clean water take for granted. However, we also know that this child is being required to develop an untrusting relationship with the water that flows from her tap and fills the local rivers. Water in Flint is now a commodity that needs to be shipped in in bottles, and rationed strategically to brush teeth in what is said to be one of the most advanced countries in the world. Label by Gwyneth McCrae

The Second Grace: Purity

Jjenna Hupp Andrews, American

The Second Grace: Purity, 2016

This sculpture reminds individuals that justice for the City of Flint has not yet been served. The Justice Scales juxtaposed to the water bottle containing contaminated water draws a direct connection between the Flint Water Crisis and the lack of response from public officials. The addition of Flint water within the human figure itself seems to suggest the ways in which contaminated water affects all parts of the body, while also suggesting the permeability of the skin. The use of plastic bottles not only alludes to the residents’ reliance on bottled water as their sole source of clean, safe drinking water but also of the sheer abundance of water bottle waste and consumption that accompanies this crisis. Label by Grace Moser

Stepping Stone Falls 3 Y3M1C2

Matthew Brandt, American, born 1982

Stepping Stone Falls 3 Y3M1C2, 2016

When the city of Flint, Michigan switched its water source to the local Flint River in April of 2014, its underprepared water treatment plant failed to treat the water correctly, leading to contamination by lead and dangerous bacteria to make its way into residents’ homes. Brandt’s photo series Waterfalls (Stepping Stone Falls) depicts the architecture of the Flint River dam behind the vivid yet ominous colors and patterns generated by their exposure to water from the Flint River. By using materials found on-location, Brandt both experiments with his artistic process and comments on the ongoing water crisis in Flint. Label by Sarah Roberts

This piece shows the Flint River Dam in Flint, Michigan. Brandt used the toxic river water to develop the image and create unique water marks on the paper. This piece was intended to be shown using a lightbox to emphasize the moment and vibrancy of the river. However, I believe this piece is compelling because it is a metaphor for the way in which America has viewed Flint. The bright colors are easily scanned over, but the deeper and industrial background of the polluted river being choked by the dam is murky. The real problem in this piece can easily be ignored if you aren’t looking closely. Similarly, the lack of clean drinking water in Flint is easily ignored by the public, especially as the 24-hour news cycle deems the story as last week’s headline. Label by Sam Dutilly