Silt Study: Arkansas White River Basin, 2021

In each woven Silt Study, NOAA temperature data for one of the 18 major US river basins is materialized as hand-dyed, color-coded cotton. In my translation of the data, 126 years takes form as 18 rows of color, each row an average of 7 years of temperature. I interweave these plant-derived fibers with petrochemical-derived fishing line, drawing connections between rising temperatures, petrochemical extraction, and the buildup of toxic plastics in the earth and our bodies. Up close, one can see the warp threads curving as they travel through the wefts, the arc of the threads evoking a gentle wave, the bend of a river, the force of being moved by alternating plant and petrochemical material. Works are unframed. For a map of the US River Basins visit https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-references/maps/us-river-basins.php