Waves form the focus of Andrea Carlson’s Traveler Project, which brings together the world of fluid dynamics with the Ojibwe language to create new artworks.

Over the course of four paddling days, Andrea Carlson will document wave patterns taken from the paddles of travelers as they navigate through the water. As the fluid dynamics present in the water are carved into by the paddle and the strokes that direct its movement, the surface reflects light and glistens. In the Ojibwe language the word waasikozi, meaning “she/he is shiny or sparkling,” contains a beautiful morpheme present in many Ojibwe names. Carlson will photograph the patterns that emerge from the interplay of waves and light, using the images as references for future works of art.