Betty Beaumont
Ocean Landmark
Ocean Landmark, comprised of 17,000 coal fly-ash blocks, built in 1978-1980, is a unique artwork that recycles waste, establishes a habitat for fish, continues to feed people, and is a prototype for new industry. Ocean Landmark is an underwater work on the floor of the Atlantic, 40 miles from the New York Harbor, made of 500 tons of processed coal-waste, a potential pollutant transformed into a lush underwater garden. The work was inspired by the potential of the continental shelf and by a team of scientists experimenting to stabilize an industrial by-product in water. I proposed using their materials to create an underwater sculpture, that when fished, would feed people. It has grown and developed into a productive new ecosystem over the years and continues to evolve. -Betty Beaumont