To Sea

To Sea (2012) is a 16mm film consisting of a year-end report about the state of the ocean. The report, which covers water quality, pollution levels, and other indicators of ocean health, was transmitted via telegraph from North America's last remaining commercial Morse code station, housed on a seaside cliff. Johnson typed the report on Morse teletype paper strips exactly the width of the 16mm film she had shot of the ocean. Using the paper as a stencil, Johnson coated the film in a varnish, placed the film in bleach, and everything but what laid beneath the varnish was removed, encapsulating the ocean in dots which represent letters.