Chapter 13: Lifeline, A Water Storytelling Project

A Whole Ocean in a Small Pebble

I have been mesmerized by the rocks at the Po River Source in Italy (Monviso/Pian del Re). They have an otherworldly quality, with magnificent colors and textures that convey deep geologic and cosmic time.

Intuition guided me to reference them in my recent work (see below). Today, the source of that intuitive connection was revealed and it all made sense–these rocks are actually fragments of ancient oceanic crust, thrust up through the collision of tectonic plates (approximately 152-163 million years old)!

Monviso, Pian del Re at the Po River’s source.

A Whole Ocean in a Small Pebble: the Monviso Meta-Ophiolite Complex

Ophiolites are portions of both the oceanic crust and underlying upper mantle. Their etymology is quite straightforward: ‘ophio-’ is Greek for ‘snake’ (ὄφις), while ‘-lite’ means ‘stone’ from the Greek lithos (λίθος), after the typical variably green colour of lithologies that make up many ophiolites. ¹

Pian del Re, the Po River Source

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Here below is a selection of details from my recent works….
All of these works will be included in my upcoming exhibition at Mazzoleni-Torino.

Eridano. Detail). 2024, Water, kaolin clay, copper oxide, homemade soy milk, vinegar, chlorophyllin, and organic indigo on printed map from the State Archives of Turin mounted on linen. 38.25 x 61.5 x 0.25 in

Oceanids (Laguna di Venezia). Detail. 2024, Water, organic indigo, chlorophyllin, copper oxide, homemade soy milk, kaolin clay, Sumi ink, and vinegar on found printed map. 34.25 x 40.25 in

Delta, l. Detail. 2024, Water, organic indigo, chlorophyllin, copper oxide, homemade soy milk, kaolin clay, and vinegar on found printed map on linen. 38.5 x 27.5 in

Celestial River. Detail. 2024, Water, chlorophyllin, indigo, homemade soy milk, kaolin clay, and vinegar on found printed map. 30.5 x 45.75 in

Thank you for being here with me! I welcome your messages, comments and questions, anytime.

XO, Melissa

1. Link https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12371-014-0097-9