Elena Banica, Cyanobacteria Bloom, Fall 2023. Acrylic and black ink on canvas: 24 in. x 18 in.
"Cyanobacteria Bloom" emphasizes the blooms of cyanobacteria, also known as "blue–green algae" ("Causes and Ecosystem Impacts" 2023). I chose this theme for this abstract painting because cyanobacteria can make water harmful to humans, animals, and plants when the temperatures increase due to climate change. When cyanobacteria grow too dense, the water can be green, brown, blue, or red, and it can be toxic and harmful to the entire ecosystem.
"Cyanobacteria Bloom" is a black ink and acrylic painting on canvas, 18 in. x 24 in., painted in the Fall 2023 semester for my BA Senior Project, "Climate Change in Abstract Painting." The painting shows cool and bright colors that emphasize the blooms of cyanobacteria. Different lines show movement and change. The black ink surrounding the painting shows the dangerous beauty of the toxic water.
My inspiration for "Cyanobacteria Bloom" was the article "Stunning Photos of Climate Change," by Christina Capatides and Jessica Learish, published in CBS News on March 9, 2022. The article emphasizes the green "cyanobacteria in the Kyiv Water Reservoir near Kyiv, Ukraine, on November 15, 2020" when the "extreme hot weather" damaged the "crops" and "the natural habitat of some species" (Capatides and Learish 2022). Through my painting "Cyanobacteria Bloom," I want to bring awareness and show how beauty can turn into sublime when human activities cause climate change.
Bibliography
Capatides, Christina, and Jessica Learish. “Stunning Photos of Climate Change.” CBS News. March 9, 2022. https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/climate-change-photos/15/
“Causes and Ecosystem Impacts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed September 10, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/HABS/ENVIRONMENT.HTML