Leah Harper

High tide

Individual pieces are 2” x 1” x 3/4” — plaster, acrylic paint

These barnacles are installed in clusters along the wall at a consistent height of approximately 20 inches, as if the room has been reclaimed by the ocean. It mimics a seawall at low tide and highlights our vulnerability to the threat of rising seas in the spaces we currently inhabit. In past iterations, these barnacles have also been installed on exterior walls and street furniture, as well as indoor fixtures and appliances.

Rooted

As pictured 60” x 36” x 40” — recycled bicycle tubes, foam, wire

These mangrove-like roots spring from the wall as if reclaiming the room, highlighting our vulnerability to the threat of rising seas in the spaces we currently inhabit. Composed entirely of recycled materials, this installation alludes to the waste produced by society and its lasting impact on nature.

Bio-lantern

4.75” x 5” x 9.5” — hurricane lantern, algae, water

Leah Harper is an interdisciplinary artist with a background in art, architecture, and design. She creates organic sculptures and installations that interact with the built environment, highlighting issues of climate change and rising seas. Venues she’s exhibited at include the Hudson River Museum, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Art in Odd Places, and the Human Impacts Institute’s 2019 Creative Climate Awards. In 2019 and 2020, she was a resident artist with Works on Water on Governors Island, NY. Originally from South Florida, Leah currently lives and works in Brooklyn.