Michael x. Ryan - Ox-Bow Water-line

2009–ongoing

A 20-foot line traced from a steel wire drawing following the water's edge from the Ox-Bow dock 20 feet north on Monday, July 7th, 2008, at 10:30am

In this sculptural installation, the site itself is central: the Ox-Bow School of Art & Artist’s Residency in Saugatuck, MI, which has been active for over a century. There, Ryan traced a single line along the edge of the lagoon, transforming a modest gesture into a universal pictogram resembling an island or land mass seen from above. The trace—a type of stateless, nameless geographical abstraction—was carved into sheets of plywood, accompanied by instructions for sifting sand across the open line that allows the work to be continually made and unmade. As global coastlines face imminent threats due to climate change, Ryan’s hyper-specific work reflects both a precise moment in place and a broader meditation on environmental fragility.

Installation at Rockford Art Museum

[OW8] Ox-Bow Water-line prep drawing #7 for Malmo installation, 2021 ink and color pencil on card stock Paper size: 8.5 x 11 in (21.59 x 27.94 cm) Framed: 9 x 11.5 x 0.5 in (22.86 x 29.21 x 1.27 cm)

[OW7] Ox-Bow Water-line prep drawing #6 for Malmo installation, 2021 ink and color pencil on card stock Paper size: 8.5 x 11 in (21.59 x 27.94 cm) Framed: 9 x 11.5 x 0.5 in (22.86 x 29.21 x 1.27 cm)