Playground and Shell Refinery, Norco, Louisiana

Richard Misrach, American

Playground and Shell Refinery, Norco, Louisiana, 1998 (print 2012)

This is a photograph of the playground of a black elementary school which was burned down on the eve of the integration with the area’s white children in 1968. The photo was taken by Richard Misrach, who was commissioned for the High Museum’s Picturing the South series in 1998. The playground stands in stark contrast to the Shell refinery immediately behind it. This photograph embodies the dystopia scene of Cancer Alley in the United States. The ever-looming oil industry is hanging over the heads of the community and casting a shadow over even a playground. This emptiness of this photograph reminds me of the deaths and forced relocations due to the pollution and contamination that gave this part of the country its name. Label by Sam Dutilly

Wealth of Nations

Victor Ehikhamenor, Nigerian

Wealth of Nations, 2015

This work consists of oil barrels painted with abstract patterns. These patterns are meant to emulate the ancient writing styles that were once prevalent in Nigeria but are now almost extinct. The use of a declining form of language is used to reference the loss of ecology and ecological knowledge in the Niger Delta. The goal of the piece is to represent the struggle to preserve the delta and for communities to have access to the wealth being extracted from their home. The installation serves as a reminder that the benefits and drawbacks of oil are not distributed equally. Label by Becca Gurysh

Neighbors playing board games under a sky lit by gas flares

Adriana Loureiro Fernandez, Venezuelan

Neighbors playing board games under a sky lit by gas flares near Punta de Mata in eastern Venezuela, 2023

This photo captures the depressing reality that some Venezuelans must face in their daily lives. While neighbors play games, fires rage behind them as a result of the destructive actions of the combination of industry and corruption. The stark contrast between the top and bottom halves of the photo correlates with the exacerbated economic inequality that is driving this crisis. After the Venezuelan government and the oil industry raked in billions, people are left hungry and facing horrible environmental conditions. With the inability to relocate due to the economic devastation, Venezuelans are forced to play the cards they are dealt. Label by Jackson Schiminger

Playing on the Shores of Lake Maracaibo

Adriana Loureiro Fernandez, Venezuelan

Luis Javier, 9, and Luis David, 8, playing on the shores of Lake Maracaibo, which along with oil, has also become filled with algae, 2023

In Venezuela, two children peer over into Lake Maracaibo, a water source infiltrated by pollutive oils and dense algal material. This scene is nothing out of the ordinary for Venezuelan citizens, for their shores are plagued by gas flares and oil spills. In order to survive, children bathe in rotting sea life waters, and source food from these hazardous zones as well. This story comes across successfully due to the photographer’s compositional decisions. Here, we see the children are on a diagonal ledge which drawers the viewers focus down into the toxic water. Pure, youthful life is tarnished by murky man-made waters. This “dirtied” life extends both to the children and the naturalistic elements. Label by Grace Cohen