Glass of Sea Water
Glass of Sea Water
Duralux glass filled with evaporated sea water (with beach sand)
From 2000 to 2004 I was the third-year graphic design teacher at the University of Brighton. At lunchtime I would often walk down to the beach and look out at the ocean. One day I bought a cheap glass from a catering supply shop and walked down to the beach to collect a glass of seawater. I attempted to fill the glass from the sea without getting my feet wet—impossible. I walked into the sea and scooped up a full glass of seawater and a few pebbles before I returned to the college with wet shoes, socks, and jeans. I spent the whole afternoon giving tutorials with wet feet.
At the end of the day, I carefully carried the glass—without a lid—all the way back to my apartment in London, using the train and the London Underground. I held the glass constantly, using my arm as a kind of suspension shock-absorbing device to limit the amount of spillage. I managed to bring almost a full glass back, with only about twenty millimeters of seawater lost. I placed the glass at the side of my bed and watched as it slowly evaporated over the next few weeks, leaving behind beautiful salt crystals.
