Oil Drum Map of the World #1

Cal Lane, Canadian

Oil Drum Map of the World #1, 2008

Cal Lane’s “Oil Drum Map of the World #1” serves as both a beautiful example of detailed metalwork and an ironic reference to the oil world. Lane repurposes an old oil drum, carving a map into its surface. This choice of subject matter seemingly suggests that oil extraction is spreading to all parts of the world, or perhaps that the effects of oil are contaminating the world either directly, through leaks and waste disposal, or indirectly, through emissions and the effects of climate change. Lane includes depictions of animal-like creatures within the detailed borders, perhaps alluding to the effects that oil has on nonhuman animals. Label by Grace Moser

Human Cost

Liberate Tate, United Kingdom

Human Cost, 2011

Artists from the art activist organization, Liberate Tate, coordinated a performance, Human Cost, in the middle of the floor of an exhibition in the Duveen Gallery, Tate Britain. An individual from the activist group lay naked on the floor covering their face, while others, clothed in black and veiled by a black cloth, poured an oil-like substance over the nude body from a vibrant green gas canister labeled with BP’s logo. The liquid dripped down the body and puddled around them on the floor. The performance occurred on the first anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion that spilled 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This staging occurred for 87 minutes, representing the 87 days oil poured into the ocean in addition to protesting BP’s sponsorship of Tate museum. Label by Elsa Rall

Ashland Belle Helene Plantation, Acquired by Shell Chemical

Richard Misrach, American, born 1949

Ashland Belle Helene Plantation, Acquired by Shell Chemical, 1998

This photograph is part of a larger body of work that Misrach created for the High Museum of Art in Atlanta’s “Picturing the South” series. Misrach decided to focus on Cancer Alley, a stretch of land in Louisiana where industrial plants are devastating the health of the communities they surround. This particular photograph is striking because it depicts a large white plantation mansion, a symbol heavily associated with the South. The fact that it was taken over by Shell Corporation serves as a symbol of the continued oppression and abuse of Black people in the name of capitalism. This series serves as a method of communication: in Misrach’s own words, “It’s hard for art to really solve problems but I’ve come to believe that art is a really important way of communicating, not only with current generations, but with future generations.” Label by Laura Reitze

Bird Mired in Oil on the Beach, East Grand Terre Island, Louisiana, June 3, 2010

Charlie Riedel, American

Bird Mired in Oil on the Beach, East Grand Terre Island, Louisiana, June 3, 2010, 2010

In this canonical photo from Charlie Riedel’s Deepwater Horizon photo essay, a bird’s attempt to rise, or to simply move at all, is juxtaposed by the weight of a thick coating of oil residue. In fact, the bird is so obscured that it takes the form of a different animal or a new type of alien creature altogether. This reflects the relative silence animals have in the debate over whether or not humans have a right to use their habitats for harmful resource production. The way Riedel has captured his image emphasizes the abrupt recognition of harm done to something we cannot readily see, but are vaguely aware of. Fossil fuels burn quickly, but the effects of their extraction accrue lasting damages. Label by Kristin Rheins