Consider the following after viewing the artwork:
- What emotions or sensations does the artwork bring about, and what do those feelings communicate about its meaning?
- What do the individual elements (e.g., red streak, uneven/jagged edges) in the image symbolize?
- How does thinking of water as “lifeblood” impact our understanding of environmental stewardship?
- What role do medical institutions play in preserving ecological health? What role does this preservation play in a holistic view of patient care?
Artist Statement
Our world’s water supplies are threatened. The Colorado River has been declared “on the brink of failure.” Many are questioning our aquifers’ ability to withstand the increasing demands of AI data centers. To call water our lifeblood and to say that we are in danger of losing it due to “vampiric overuse,” as the UN Secretary General recently did, is to add an additional element of urgency to a threat that affects in the most essential way our personal well being and that of our planet.
About the Artist
Karen Elias is an artist/activist, using photography and collage to try to make sense of life on a planet in trouble. Her award-winning work appears in private collections and galleries. Heart Speaks, Is Spoken For, and Small Earthly Space, ekphrastic collaborations with poet Marjorie Maddox, appeared in 2022 and 2025, respectively, both from Shanti Arts.
