Artist Lab Report:
Drinking from the Source
by Alicia Marván

My project while in residency at Lakeside began with the intention to represent Lake Okoboji. In particular, I was interested in portraying its unique bathymetry (the contours of the lake under water). I was thrilled to find several bathymetric maps of the lake in the Limnology Lab, which seemed almost abandoned – it felt like digging through treasure chests in a shipwreck. Initially I was interested in scaling out the contours and creating a 3-dimensional installation with wire, suspended into space.

After studying the bathymetry contours closely, as well as learning about the quality of the water from the lake, I became more inclined towards a smaller scale, where the viewer/participant could immerse their heads into the bathymetry. Therefore, I decided to design a drinking fountain in the shape of the lake. What followed was a labor intensive process of creating a sculpture of the contours made with cardboard, which would serve as a mold for carving out the lake into a concrete form. The models were presented at an “in-progress” showing, alongside inspirational music and video.

A concrete form with a hollow basin in the shape of the lake was created, with a drinking spout and plumbing embedded. With limited potable water fountains throughout campus, this project not only fulfills a need for visitors, students, faculty and staff, but also creates a moment for appreciation of the natural resources available on site.

“Artists and scientists are both asking questions about the world, they’re just doing it in different ways”
Alex Braidwood
Director, Iowa Lakeside Lab Artists-in-Residence Program

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