A Harmful Ocean Experiment: The Tire Reef Tragedy
Skills
Poster Design
Overview
The Barry Arts Museum held an exhibition, Message in a Bottle: Picturing Maritime Culture that visually bridges past and present maritime culture in Hampton Roads. The collection ranges from 19th-century maritime art to local museums and conceptual pieces from contemporary artists.
Goal
Design a poster that reflects the past decisions of the Osborne Tire Reef Project that presently affects ocean life.
Exhibition
As a member of the Graphic Design Club, I contributed a poster design to an exhibition focused on the Osborne Tire Project. My design highlighted the environmental impact of the Osborne Tire Reef and efforts to restore the marine ecosystem.
Research
In the 1970s, around 2 million tires were dropped into the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The goal was to create an artificial coral reef to promote sea life. However, due to their movement from tropical storms and hurricanes, they’ve caused damage to current reefs. In 2001, a small scale, cleanup program began to remove the tires. Although thousands of tires are left, roughly 482,600 tires recorded as removed in 2023.
Getting A Closer Look
The design features a depiction of a ship disposing numerous tires into the ocean, transitioning into an underwater scene where the discarded tires rest on the seafloor. A subtle map outline of the project’s location, providing context for viewers. The layered imagery, combined with a deep blue and muted earth-tone palette, creates a compelling contrast between human intervention and marine preservation.
Takeaway
The creation of this poster provided a reflection based on the decisions of the people in the past and to bring awareness to people of the present. By addressing these actions, it can allow people to think about the future consequences and how their actions can affect the ocean life not just positively but also negatively.
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