The artist superimposes a satellite view of a planned, puzzle-like, luxury waterfront community on the skirt of a Victorian fashion plate. This work expands on the ideas in the video...
The artist superimposes a satellite view of a planned, puzzle-like, luxury waterfront community on the skirt of a Victorian fashion plate. This work expands on the ideas in the video piece On the Altars of Vanity, specifically the practice of developers utilizing artificial lakes to beautify properties for the purpose of increasing their value and attracting buyers. It can be argued that these lakes are necessary, the excavated land is used to raise the ground level for homes and the lakes serve as part of the storm water drainage system, and also as a wildlife habitat. But what concerns García is the origin of the land used for these developments and the water that fills their lakes, and how it was once all part of the natural landscape of the Everglades, now artificially transformed to the detriment of this shrinking ecosystem.
The control and misappropriation of water from Lake Okeechobee has enabled the creation of this buildable land. Real estate developers have seen an opportunity to increase asking prices by locating homes on artificial lakes. Home to fish and waterfowl, these sparkling lakes enhance the experience of homeowners by providing a desirable view and a connection to nature. Sadly, just as the skirt worn by the model in this piece appears unquestionably beautiful, or at least interesting, to the uninformed viewer, so do the lakes, which in reality are created by pumping in diverted water from man-made canals that are part of the elaborate water management system that ended the natural flow to the Everglades. The artist wishes to draw attention to the ongoing actions fueled by ambition, with disregard for the environment that threaten the region. The question of cost is inherent in this piece: the cost of housing, the cost of being en vogue, the cost of changing the planet to satisfy our desires.
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