Verbal Description: Mesocosm (Wink, TX), 2012

Narrator: Mesocosm (Wink, TX) by Marina Zurkow is a software-driven animation that depicts a large sinkhole, nicknamed Wink Sink 2, that formed on the property of a private oil company located in the town of Wink, Texas. Because the animation is constantly being generated, every minute is unique from the next. This description is a general overview of the elements in the work.

Shown as a 19.5 x 11 ft. projection , the animation is a side view of the sinkhole and the land around it. Each of the elements in this work is hand-drawn, and the overall feel is that of being plunged into an cartoonish, science fiction world. Time passes from day to night and seasons shift. The sinkhole is filled with a dark liquid, perhaps oil, and bubbles and gushes. Sometimes, it expels objects like plastic bags, or plumes of dark clouds. Depending on the season, geese flit through the sky, as do giant butterflies and hot air balloons. Occasionally, hazmat workers in neon yellow suits are visible around the sinkhole. The brightness of their outfits contrast with the mostly grayscale tones of the rest of the environment. Prairie dogs, coyotes, or antelope can sometimes be seen lumbering across the landscape. To the far right of the background, is a large, freestanding digital signage display showing scenes from nature and on the left of the foreground is a small picnic table, reminiscent of a rest stop.