This grow room has been constructed to experiment with possibilities in energy outsourcing through the extraction of oil from non-living organic matter.
Dimensions: Variable.
Materials: Bovine bones, motor oil, canola oil, hydroponics irrigation systems, grow lights, metal trays, wood frames, ceramic pots.
These ideas of human energy production are continued through The Bone Garden, which is based within hydroponics technology, and visualizes the extracting of oil from actual bones. A multitude of bones are grown in small flowerpots, and various tubing and IV-type drips extract oil from the bones, in a self-contained system. The hydroponics grow room that the Garden is housed within acts as a protective shelter, lending a feel of secrecy and nurturing
experimentation to the piece. With this piece, I was not only interested in these ideas being communicated visually, but also focused on creating an environment that engaged all of the five senses. The smell of petroleum within the contained space overwhelms the viewer, and the sounds of dripping oil and extracting pumps provide eeriness to the piece that can only be experienced physically.
The Bone Garden was designed as a created sensory space that suggests the idea that energy outsourcing could possibly lead to a scientific frenzy where actual organic matter would be collected and harvested for oil.
