Grid Art project

When we first got assigned this project, like many others, I came up blank with no ideas. Then I let the idea sit for a little while and listened to others ideas, and still no inspiration. I am not creative in the least bit so from the start I knew that my finished product was going to be nothing extraordinary. I think that the reason I am so uncreative is because I like things to be in order and organized. I am not good with drawing unique pictures or fancy designs, which is why my project turned out the way it did.
Initially I was trying to think of an object that would be cheap, small, and easy to have 900 pieces, which is how I came up with stickers. Having colorful stickers allowed me to organize my project by that criteria. I did have a sketch but when it came time to actually do the project, I just started sticking down stickers. I started with the black border because I like things to be sharp, defined, and have edges, then tic-tac-toe came to mind. I decided to split up the 30x30 grid into a 3x3 grid. With this I started making a diagonal line that split up two different colors and liked the way that looked. Creating this first box led me to the rest of the project, using vertical and horizontal lines with the same principle. I knew I had to have many different parts to this grid because I had 8 different colors to work with, and from there I just continued to put down stickers and let the pieces come together.
I like how my project came out because it is very organized and neat, which is visually appealing to me. There were some times where it was hard to keep all of the circles in line with each other making sure they matched up with the black border but by the time I came down to the end, everything had lined up. This project reminds me of pop art because of the vibrant colors and many little dots coming together to create a picture. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to this project because I did not stick with the original template I had created which I guess in some ways is me being creative.

Plus Pool, New York

            In August of 2013, for the first time ever people of New York were given the opportunity to swim in the East River. Swimming has always been prohibited due to the contamination of the river, but the creation of the Plus Pool has changed that forever. This new technology now allows people to experience and enjoy the beautiful nature that surrounds them in New York. As the idea was introduced, creators quickly realized that many people were eager for this new invention and were more than willing to help. Water filtration is such an essential part of life and has been around since the 1700s, but even the ancient Greeks in 2000 BC had ideas of water purification. Clean drinking water is something many people take for granted but is a large issue in other parts of the world. Various technologies that have been created to purify our water which has led to lives being saved and making the world a better place.

            Aqueducts in 7^th century BC created by the Assyrians carried water from one place with water to another place without water. This invention didn’t necessarily purify water, but it did evolve around the basic need for clean water which has led to many other essential inventions. The first water filters were created in the 1700s by using charcoal, sponges, and wool. These materials were used to clean the water and remove any particles that could be harmful to humans drinking it. As time progressed, new materials were used for filtration, such as sand during the 1890s in large filtration systems. Although there are certain chemicals like chlorine, that purify water as well, the basic ways to filter water have continued to be used throughout history.

The Plus Pool is similar to a large strainer, filtering out bacteria and contaminants. This technology, dating back to the 1700s, filters water through materials being tightly woven together to trap particles and leave clean water on the other side. The invention of the Plus Pool opens up a whole new window of opportunity in the world becoming more self-sufficient. If we apply this new technology in other parts of the world, we will be able to give water to many countries who do not have clean drinking water. Being able to provide clean drinking water to all humans on the planet will be possible with the use of the Plus Pool technology in other parts of the world. In the future, technology like this will solve the issue of people not having clean drinking water. This simple technology allows for it to be accessible without having to build a complex structure. By applying technology that has been around for centuries, we are moving in the right direction of living in a healthier planet with proper drinking water for all.

Sources:

http://www.pluspool.org/design/

http://www.lenntech.com/history-water-treatment.htm