Burning Bush

Luther Gerlach, American, born 1960

Burning Bush, 2018

Luther Gerlach is an American artist whose work engages with the physical processes of photography and emphasizes the natural world. He created a series of photos during the 2017 Thomas Fire in California that he developed with acidic water composed of ashes and sulfur from hot springs at the fire’s origin point. The inclusion of the fire’s chemical remnants produces a hauntological effect, recreating the destruction and transforming the image with licks of color that appear flamelike. This ghost of fire paired with a desolate copse (reminiscent of Paul Nash’s horrific paintings of the barren Inverness Copse destroyed by WWI), brought to the viewer through a highly chemical process, encapsulates the deeper political and industrial issues related to environmental injustices like wildfires. Through his photos’ contents and their development techniques, Gerlach demonstrates the wildfire’s long-lasting consequences and its initial flash, in terms of both the burn and our attention. Label by Tori Erisman

The Ivory Tower

Scott Marsh, Australian, born 1984

The Ivory Tower, 2020

This mural by Scott Marsh was influenced by the movie “Dirty Power: Burnt Country,” which discussed the Australian bushfire crisis. In the film, it was discovered that a majority of news articles from the depicted media moguls denied climate change as a cause for the bushfires. It also showed that the Australian government approved coal mining and had regular meetings with fossil fuel corporations. The seven high-status members illustrated in the ivory tower include: the Prime Minister, former Deputy Prime Minister, as well as media and fossil fuel moguls. The Prime Minister can be seen wearing a Hawaiian shirt and lei because he was on vacation in Hawaii during the bushfire crisis. Marsh wanted to make it clear that because the destruction of these bushfires does not reach the elite, it has no importance to them. Under this tower of denial lies scenes of destruction from these bushfires. This work ties into this week’s topics of climate denial and petro-capitalism. Label by Olivia Falb

Scott Marsh's painting, "The Ivory Tower," vividly underscores the inequalities exacerbated by fires. The artwork, presented in a semi-political cartoon style, depicts the horrors associated with wildfires. It portrays animals and habitats consumed by flames and firefighters battling the inferno. Moreover, it keenly highlights the demographics of people and the natural world that are disproportionately affected by these fires. On the contrasting side of the spectrum, the painting portrays powerful individuals ensconced in their ivory tower. From this lofty vantage point, they callously burn money and appear to deride the catastrophic scene unfolding below. Their dismissive comments, such as labeling concerned individuals as "alarmists," serve as a stark representation of how some politicians deny the realities of climate change. Label by Jackson Smith

Steven and His Thousand Trucks

Cynthia Ryan Kelly, American

Steven and His Thousand Trucks, 2008

The man featured in this painting is the former governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear. Cynthia Ryan Kelly lives in Kentucky and was disappointed with the support that mountaintop mining companies received from the governor. Governor Beshear established $300,000 of funds to use for coal education and to support the idea of mountaintop removal mining. The numerous trucks depicted in the work are coal trucks that are used to transport coal away from the mines. The money coming from the governor’s hands is the money that was used to promote positive coal education. This ties into one of the aspects of our readings of how the coal industry has such a large influence on politics. Label by Olivia Falb

Abundance Undermined

Hannah Chalew, American

Abundance Undermined, 2019

This image is of a work by Hannah Chalew, depicting the neighborhood of Gordon Plaza. Gordon Plaza was a neighborhood built in the late 1970s atop the Agriculture Street Landfill: a toxic waste dump that was in use for more than 50 years. It was marketed to future residents as a way for low income Black New Orleanians to become homeowners and as a place to realize the American Dream. The site’s history and toxicity was not

communicated to the residents. Almost immediately residents began suffering from deadly health issues such as elevated rates of cancer, lead poisoning, and respiratory diseases. The site’s removal from the National Priorities List and the spreading of toxins caused by Hurricane Katrina have made the situation worse. Today, residents continue to fight for relocation that is fair and fully funded. In this work we can see the juxtaposition between the promised ‘American Dream,’ in the form of a picturesque neighborhood, and the reality of the subterranean toxic waste. She has even incorporated found plastic from Gordon Plaza into the paper. Label by Savannah Singleton