La Mode Pratique Series (008). Floating on Hope

Watercolor on Paper

15.25” x 22”

2021

The piece addresses how human influence has had a detrimental effect on the fauna and flora of the region and how one of the major impacts in the ecosystem has been caused by the diversion of water in the Everglades. During the wet season, water levels on the north side of the Tamiami Trail, which blocks the natural flow, often become dangerously high from a combination of unusually increased rainfall and the inflow of diverted water from urban and agricultural lands. Since the water cannot flow naturally, this condition persists for a prolonged time, becoming a dire threat for fur-bearing animals and wading birds through the destruction of their habitat.
On the bottom part of the dress, you could see a flooded South Florida neighborhood and mailboxes representing different animals that reside in the everglades and are affected by the effects caused by urban development interventions.