Gowanus Canal: Oil Designs

When the oil gathers on the Gowanus Canal, it can be a sheen of multi-colored toxic beauty.

The patches of color writhe and pulse through the water, almost like a living organism. And at times, the tides and winds combine to give unique gatherings of providence to combine into recognizable shapes.

All images are ©Mark D Phillips. Photos may be licensed and downloaded through our site.

Oil patterns form a frenzy of shapes on the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, NY, caused by the coal tar and oil seeping to the surface. Sewage flowed into the canal as early as 1858, and by the 1880’s the waterway had gained the moniker “Lavendar Lake” for its odorous qualities. The current cost of the overall EPA Superfund cleanup plan is estimated to be over $1.5 billion, and the entire project won’t be completed until mid-2023. The Gowanus Canal is located in one of the densest population centers in America.
The Winged Foot of Hermes
Oil patterns form a winged foot on the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, NY, caused by the coal tar and oil seeping to the surface. Sewage flowed into the canal as early as 1858, and by the 1880’s the waterway had gained the moniker “Lavendar Lake” for its odorous qualities. The current cost of the overall EPA Superfund cleanup plan is estimated to be over $1.5 billion, and the entire project won’t be completed until mid-2023. The Gowanus Canal is located in one of the densest population centers in America.
Africa
Oil pattern forms Africa on the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, NY. The oil patterns on the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, NY, come together in the strangest ways, sometimes for seconds at a time, to form recognizable shapes highlighted by the morning sun. Sewage flowed into the canal as early as 1858, and by the 1880’s the waterway had gained the moniker “Lavendar Lake” for its odorous qualities. The current cost of the overall EPA Superfund cleanup plan is estimated to be over $1.5 billion, and the entire project won’t be completed until mid-2023. The Gowanus Canal is located in one of the densest population centers in America.
Swirls
At low tide, oil permeates to the surface of the Gowanus Canal sometimes so thick that it gives the appearance of a hard surface. As the oil moves in the tidal waterway, the sunlight gleams the colors as it changes shape constantly. Caused by the coal tar and oil seeping to the surface, sewage flowed into the canal as early as 1858, and by the 1880’s the waterway had gained the moniker “Lavendar Lake” for its odorous qualities. The current cost of the overall EPA Superfund cleanup plan is estimated to be over $1.5 billion, and the entire project won’t be completed until mid-2023. The Gowanus Canal is located in one of the densest population centers in America.
Woman
Is it a woman's form? The oil patterns on the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, NY, come together in the strangest ways, sometimes for seconds at a time, to form recognizable shapes highlighted by the morning sun. Sewage flowed into the canal as early as 1858, and by the 1880’s the waterway had gained the moniker “Lavendar Lake” for its odorous qualities. The current cost of the overall EPA Superfund cleanup plan is estimated to be over $1.5 billion, and the entire project won’t be completed until mid-2023. The Gowanus Canal is located in one of the densest population centers in America.