hal·o·phile
noun ECOLOGY
an organism, especially a microorganism, that grows in or can tolerate saline conditions.
HALOPHILIA
Towards an Aesthetics of Remediation: A Salt-loving Environment
hypersaline saline brackish fresh
A surprisingly complex body of water pools across the surface of California’s formerly dry playa, Owen’s Lake. The exchange of fresh, brackish and saline water sustain a fascinating, tiny life form that has emerged: pigmented halophile, which creates the Lake’s unexpected hues. Pixels of an image, like halophile, are the smallest controllable element that compose both digital and physical landscapes. Their colors saturate water and screen, a visual and numerical identification of salinity. The album begins to work on images, similar to the way LADWP works on the lake, by identifying the bits that compose it’s hues, in order to explore techniques and rationales for their manipulation. The continued management of diverse salinity ranges at Owen’s Lake is essential, both as an aesthetic, and for the management of dust, brine and wildlife that have become intertwined in this built environment.
UCLA TOPIC STUDIO | WINTER 2019
INSTRUCTOR: JASON PAYNE
SALLY CHAE, YIRAN CHEN, ERIN DAY, ERIC LIN, KEVIN MACDOUGALL, TOM NIU, DANIEL POLK, NICHOLE TORTORICI, CONNOR VERTERAMO & KENNY WONG