The Great Behind the Lakes

Diving a little bit deeper into the ecosystem of the lakes (metaphorically)

By Catalina Grimm

I’ve lived by the Great Lakes for the majority of my life without giving them too much of a second thought. Sure, I know they’re big and full of freshwater, but until I went to Alexis Rockman’s exhibit, “The Great Lakes Cycle” at the Weisman Art Museum, I was severely lacking a visual understanding of just how complex and crucial their existence is. 

The exhibit starts off with an artist’s statement emphasizing how the Great Lakes hold 20% of the earth’s freshwater. Rockman unapologetically reminds the world that’s facing severe freshwater shortages that such a large concentration is only going to increase in value in the upcoming years, making their protection even more vital. 

Moving past the opening statement, the exhibit splits into two collections. The first is comprised of watercolor pieces that illustrate the complexities of the ecosystems within the Great Lakes. Each painting contains a multitude of the Great Lakes flora, fauna, insects, mammals, and marine life that coexist together, each species incredibly interwoven and interdependent on the next. The soft colors and blurred lines of the watercolor pieces represent how each organism blends into both the environment and the other species it shares the environment with, playing further with the concept of codependency. 

The second collection is far louder. Comprised of five works, every piece is gigantic, exploding with color and demanding of the viewer’s attention. Each painting depicts a scene split between the natural environments of the Great Lakes and the brutal interruption of human influence. Waters infused with the chemical green of pollution, transferred invasive species running rampant, and E. coli monstrosities wrecking havoc are magnified to convey their detrimental impact. Where the first collection was soft and whimsical, the second collection sharply contrasts it with bright hues, harsh lines, and even harsher realities. 

I left the museum in awe of the impact Alexis Rockman loaded into each of his pieces and with a newfound awareness of how important it is to protect such precious resources. His collection masterfully portrays the complex ecosystems that make the Great Lakes so great and how easily human influences can destroy their equilibrium.