Glass with water droplets
This was simply the result of filling a glass, and then emptying it again. Water that remains…water that gets left behind…
Oil and water
I began to explore the relationship of oil and water on a visual level. The ideas that come about are those of resistance, repellence, contrast, opposites. But I also think of 3D structures and sculpture when I see the blobs of oil moving through the water. The process of change is also very interesting! The way that the oil all separates out initially, but it all comes back together into one solid layer. Resilience?
Adding food dye to oil and water
When you look down on the glass from above, the quality of the water and oil almost looks incredibly sparkly! It’s almost exactly like looking at one of the limited edition j2o’s that we were talking about on Tuesday. We were keen to try and replicate that kind of visual, and this comes pretty close. The colour here is kind of irrelevant. The only purpose it is really serving is helping to make the water itself more visible (the bubbles etc become more visible). But maybe we need to think about making water more visible – literally!
Washing away the water
After I had finished the previous experiment I poured the remaining water down the sink. Because of the oil within the mixture, a lot of it stayed sitting within the sink, in little pools and patterns that continued to change and develop.
I then started running the tap in order to wash everything away. This highlighted to me the way that water cleanses, rinses, washes away, removes traces (relevance to crime and evidence?).
Residual water and oil within the glass
Even after rinsing out the glass, the resistance of the oil to water meant that some remained within the glass, giving it a very mottled effect. When held up to the light, the effect was very dreamy.
Dye travelling through water
It is incredibly mesmerising watching dye travel through water. The shapes that are created appear so intricate, and you know that they are so transient! Indeed the whole process is fascinating. You appear to start with one thing, the middle stages are beautiful and the end product appears entirely new!
Glitter within water
When I stirred the glitter into the water to mix them together I created a whirlpool into which all of the glitter separated out into small chunks or lumps that began to collect and grow until there was almost just a ball of glitter in the bottom of the glass. This again reminded me of the resistance to water. I feel like it inclines me to see water as hostile.
Water and the body
Water’s interaction with the body is really interesting, because of course it runs off your skin, but there is always the very thinnest, smallest amount that remains. This residual water has a kind of sheen to it, and there is a kind of preciousness to the water, but I don’t know if this is just because of the way that I have framed the photographs. It almost feels like the very last remains of the water.
Water and soap (bubbles)
Bubbles have always, and will always hold a sort of fascination for everyone. Children and adults alike love bubbles. It’s something about the element of playing, and the lightness and the fragile quality of bubbles. But without plenty of water, we wouldn’t have the luxury of being able to enjoy bubbles – be it in the bath etc.
Flushing the toilet
I flushed the toilet and for the first time I really watched what happened. In the 6 months that I’ve lived in my flat, this is the first time I’ve noticed that when flushing, the water comes from both the front and back sides of the toilet bowl. The water all comes together and collects in the middle as it finishes flushing.
Water and paper
As the water soaks into the paper and begins to dry, there is a development of darkness. This is due to the wet paper beginning to stick to the surface beneath. But I find the increase in intensity really interesting. The image becomes much more harsh!
Using water to help dye travel…
This test was based upon the campaign video that Madhis posted. I wanted to see for myself the way that water acts as a vehicle or channel, through which the dye can travel. It certainly is mesmerising to watch but I do feel it has ‘been done’. This experiment was more done out of curiosity, and in order to appreciate the power of water.
Dye patterns in water
These visuals occurred unintentionally. I was actually just putting one of the straws that was covered in dye into the glass to get it out of the way, and I noticed the dye very slowly travelling through the water. It was almost like some sort of creature that was uncurling and reaching. It’s fascinating to watch, but what’s more, the whole ‘scene’ is so fleeting, you begin to wonder if it even really happened.
Remains of the water drawings
This was the piece of paper onto which I ‘drew’ with water (and dye). It was still slightly wet, but I held it up to the light and it really shone through, at once making the ‘water drawings’ more visible, but also seemingly more fragile and ephemeral.
Embracing Our Failures 