Photo courtesy of Ball's website, http://lillianball.com/index.html
Visiting artist – activist, Lillian Ball graced Elon with her presence two weeks ago. Her work has spanned a few decades, stemming from a formal college education in anthropology, transforming into an active role in gallery sculpture & video installation on an international level. One day, Lillian realized that ART WAS NOT ENOUGH. She had so much more to offer the real world. With her back turned on the institution of the gallery, she now faces a world with broader opportunities: the real world, which she distinctively separates from the art world.
Ball’s work that most interest me is her Bronx, NY-based Waterwash. Now, while I, as an artist first labeled this as an installation, it’s really more like an investment. What she has done is taken recycled glass, crushed it, and melted it into a platform of sorts near the bank or shore of a body of water. When storm water flows towards the adjacent stream or lake, the water doesn’t pool, it disperses, is filtered, and runs off towards the water source, cleaner and healthier. Past this stage of the process, the water must pass through a wall of filtering plants that further remove toxins from the storm water. The issue with the way we’ve produced surfaces in the past, Ball says, is permeability. Plants and natural organisms can break down poisons we inject into our environment. However, if we don’t allow the toxins to GET to these decomposing machines via slower run-off, they can’t do their job.
Companies that produce toxic run-off are looking at Ball’s technology now to protect their surrounding water sources and communities. This is really important to keep people, animals, and habitats clean and healthy. TS Designs stresses that this is one of the most important parts of their business, too – keeping the community safe, happy, and healthy first. By implementing these eco-friendly developments, you do not solely aid yourself – you are positively affecting every life directly and indirectly touched by your livelihood. The same applies in the other direction, negatively. Take a moment to assess your stakeholders: your clients, your distributors, your neighbors, and your backyard wildlife. How are you impacting them? How are they impacting you?