Imprinted in the Water

Critical Text:
Plastic cloaks pulsate with the undertow of the river, hinting at the death toll our society has decided for itself, and all of life. Garbage-filled waters are a common sight, and banning the use of convenience store bottles has become unimaginable. More terrifyingly, it no longer alarms us to the level of action to find entangled fins and displaced communities. How far has mankind gone in its low regard for life?

Inspired by her surroundings in Los Baños, Laguna, Gupit presents to us in her third solo show, Imprinted in the Water, a range of mediums and processes that highlight the impact of human activities on water resources. By using prints of man-made objects, she highlights the ways in which we have come to rely on water resources for our own needs, often at the expense of the environment and other human and non-human life. The wet pigment that she uses to dye her surfaces suggests the fluidity and mutability of water and the need for us to consider our effect on this vital resource. Its subdued palette emanates an ominous atmosphere that conveys the gloomy reality we face. Connecting this with images of marine life skeletons, she concocts impressions of the devastating ramifications of pollution and overfishing on aquatic ecosystems. Uprooted trees signify the destruction of natural habitats, while flaky tin roofs allude to the consequences of climate change and natural disasters in the lives of marginalized Filipinos yearly. Gupit also incorporates bottle-shaped resin works that carry paper money inside them— probing pieces that challenge viewers to consider the value we place on water and its privatization leading to a sort of exclusivity around potable water.

Through her artworks, Gupit challenges viewers to consider their own relationship with water and the ways in which our actions can have far-reaching consequences. She invites us to think about the imprint that we are leaving on the natural world and to consider how we might work to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all.

Written by Omen